'All the good things': East Pass Coffee Co. opens at new location on Benning Drive

From a trailer to a small cafe, a trio of friends has made the move once again. East Pass Coffee Co., an all-day cafe, is open at 121 Benning Drive seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

Grant and Mackenzie Destin along with friend Hayden Shaw started in 2018 with a trailer and JumpinGoat coffee. In 2020, they moved to a brick-and-mortar building and rebranded as East Pass Coffee Co. because they were adding much more to the menu. 

And with the support of locals, the trio has moved again to a bigger space with a bigger menu. 

“We have a bunch more on our lunch menu,” Mackenzie said. 

On Jan. 5, they had a soft opening, but apparently word got out with the restaurant full of locals lined up to get their favorite coffee, sandwich or one of the new menu items. 

New on the menu are the honey ginger tofu bowl and harvest bowl as well as a chicken sandwich, a double smash burger and burritos. 

Plus, they have added beer and wine. 

“Those are things we didn’t have at all before,” Mackenzie said, noting they have kept all the favorites from the old menu as well. 

Although Mackenzie said the “family dynamic” they try to maintain is the main draw to their establishment, the favorite food items are the “breakfast sandwich and acai bowls.” 

Previously:Meet Grant Destin of Jumpin’ Goat

The breakfast sandwich is made on multigrain bread with an over-medium egg, bacon, arugula, mild cheddar, hot pepper jelly and served with tater tots. 

“It’s all the good things,” Mackenzie said. 

As for the acai bowls, 6-year-old Hayden Grace was enjoying a Jetty Bowl at the soft opening. With a smile on her face, young Grace was spooning into her bowl filled with acai, granola, banana, strawberries, blueberries, coconut, peanut butter and hazelnut spread. 

Hayden’s dad, Adam, was working on a double smash burger. 

The Graces have been regulars to East Pass Coffee since it was located just off U.S. 98 behind the Red Onion. 

“Hands down, it’s the best coffee,” Adam said. 

East Pass Coffee Co. serves up Jumpin’Goat Coffee, which Mackenzie’s parents produce in Cleveland, Georgia.  

“They send it to us weekly,” Mackenzie said. 

Some of their signature drinks at East Pass Coffee Co. are an Iced Vietnamese cold brew, iced sweet cream vanilla cold brew, Coco for Mocha, German chocolate cake and cinnamon bun latte. Plus, they offer espresso and iced coffee as well. 

“This is our permanent location now ... hopefully we’ll be here forever,” Mackenzie said. 

The old cafe was about 700 to 800 square feet, while the new establishment located just off the roundabout at Mountain Drive and Benning Drive is double the size. And it offers outdoor seating. 

“There’s not many places in Destin where there is outdoor grass seating,” Mackenzie said, noting they will be putting up a fence to make it child and dog friendly. They have seating on the patio as well as picnic tables on the lawn. 

“We were hidden,” she said at the old place. 

But the new place is visible on Mountain Drive, which is a main thoroughfare for locals. 

"A lot of the businesses here on Mountain Drive are all owned by locals and younger locals, which is amazing,” Mackenzie said.

Plus, Mountain Drive is “one of the only walkable streets in Destin. It’s just much more feasible for our locals to get to by bike and with their kids and feel safe,” she said. 

And at East Pass Coffee, they are all about families and locals. 

“We’re definitely family oriented,” Mackenzie said, “whether that be your furry friends or your kids or friends. We want it to feel quaint, like you are at home.

“We wanted to keep it feeling homey ... like walking in to see people you know,” she said. 

And people were already feeling at home at the soft opening on Friday and ordering up their favorites. 

Martin Starling, who has been a regular since the trailer, ordered a turkey club as he went to sit with friends. 

East Pass Coffee can seat about 125 people, counting the outside seating. They are open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.  

In the next couple of months, look for them to extend their hours to 7 or 8 p.m. and most likely offer “small plates” at night. 

“We do cater to the locals,” Mackenzie said. 

“And look out for community events,” she said in the future, noting they are ready to get involved and do some pop ups.