Gandy Coffee House
The Founder.
Coffee. Cats. Community.
After retiring from a fulfilling career in law enforcement working for the County of Los Angeles, I visited North Carolina and fell in love with the landscape, people, and history of Pittsboro.
Throughout my career I also worked on numerous home restoration projects. While renovating a number of California ranch and bungalow homes, I learned to balance modernization, all the while respecting and maintaining a homes original character.
Coffee.
Opening a coffee shop has been a lifelong dream of mine, and the moment I stepped inside the historic 1882 Captain J. F. Alston House, I knew I had found the perfect place to finally bring that dream to life. In many ways it feels like all of my life experience has been for this very project.
I enjoyed digging through genealogical and historical records to discover the story behind the home, its owners, and their historical significance to the town of Pittsboro. I researched Victorian era homes, wallpapers, and woodworking. My previous renovations taught me how to meticulously preserve old moldings, windows and how to design a space that reflects a home’s original purpose while adding modern comfort. Every selection of the renovation has been a thoughtful selection, and reflect my love of old homes and beautifully designed spaces.
Cats.
Restoring this historic home for future generations and saving it from ever being demolished are as important as my passion for animal rescue. For me, Gandy Coffee House is about more than just exceptional espresso. When I learned that North Carolina has one of the highest per-capita animal euthanasia rates in the country, my mission expanded. Alongside the coffee house, we are opening Purrsuasion Cat Cafe, a cat cafe that helps house Chatham community shelter and rescue cats.
Community.
I have also founded Java Bean Collective, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to help spay/neuter, and rehome Chatham community cats. Our mission hopes to relieve some of the burden on our local animal shelters and rescues. Our spay and neuter efforts hope to free up resources and space benefit dogs and cats alike and reduce their environmental impact on local wildlife. Together with our Board of Directors, volunteers and our rescue partners, we hope to make Chatham County a better place.
Gandy Coffee House is designed to be Pittsboro's living room—a place where you can step back in time to Pittsboro’s gilded age, enjoy a beautifully crafted cup of coffee, and know that you are supporting a space built on community, historic preservation, and saving lives.
I am so excited to share this journey with you, and I can't wait to welcome you through our doors in 2026.
-Dana