Drip Daddy, a local coffee mobile shop, has become a familiar stop for USC students rushing to class. Parked right across the street from USC Village, the truck built its initial customer base around USC. Now, the business is expanding and opening its first permanent storefront in West Hollywood.

The new location, at 8455 Melrose Ave., is just under 500 square feet. The store will feature an expanded menu, including items like pastries sourced from other Los Angeles businesses.

Founder Alex Amari was working in the finance industry at Madison Square Garden before launching Drip Daddy in April 2024. He left that career to work as a barista and learn the logistics of the coffee business ahead of launching his own.

“I went from six-figure corporate jobs to working minimum wage and really having to grind it for two and a half years,” Amari said. “I was able to raise the money for the business during that time [and] build out the concept.” 

Amari said that expanding the business “has always been the goal.” However, taking financial risks into consideration, he decided to launch Drip Daddy as a truck and saw USC as a starting point.

“We were having trouble finding good locations, and I ended up getting a tip that I should go to USC,” Amari said. “Pretty much right away the students started [to] come to us, and we were doing pretty good numbers right off the bat.”

As the truck gained momentum, Drip Daddy became increasingly involved with the USC community. One way they did so was by parking on Greek Row on Fridays during the day, and partnering with USC’s Panhellenic sororities for sponsored tabs.

“We’re part of the community,” Amari said. “We can go wherever the students need us, and we get to be a part of the Trojan culture and Trojan lifestyle.”

The USC-Drip Daddy connection also led to student worker employment opportunities. Aly Moulton, a senior majoring in public relations and advertising, started working for Drip Daddy last fall, promoting and marketing the business. Moulton also trained to be a barista and worked the Drip Daddy truck at Coachella 2026. She said working for the business was made easier because she is “the target audience.”

“That’s people like me, students like me, that are going to Drip Daddy to get their drinks. I definitely have that in mind when I’m thinking about who we are, who our target audience is and who would even be buying this, especially at USC,” Moulton said.

For students who frequent the truck, part of its appeal remains its proximity to campus. Jacqueline Duarte, a second-year graduate student studying public relations and advertising, said she first tried Drip Daddy after noticing a crowd around the truck and has continued going ever since.

“I have recommended it to people, being that it’s so easy to walk to and the service is normally quick,” Duarte said. “I feel like most of my friends that I recommended [it to] all continue to go back to this day.”

Selin Demircan, a senior majoring in environmental engineering, said that she stopped by the truck once a week last semester.

“It’s just a good way of getting motivation on your way to class,” Demircan said. “If you’re tired or if you need a little sweet treat, I would say it serves as a motivation to the student community.”

The new West Hollywood storefront means that Drip Daddy will need to reach beyond the University audience. Alongside the expansion, Amari said the Drip Daddy truck will remain at its current location near campus and continue to be operated with “love and care.”

“USC is where we built this business, and we love being there,” Amari said. “We genuinely love the community, and we are going to continue being there as long as we can.”

Though Amari is not a USC alum, his history with the school doesn’t begin with Drip Daddy. Amari said he has been attending USC game days with his family since he was 14. He said he aspires to eventually establish an even stronger Drip Daddy presence around the University, like with a store at USC Village. 

“It’s never been about one truck [or] one store,” Amari said. “It’s been about having a recognizable brand wherever we go, and hopefully bringing this concept to the rest of the [United States].”