Waking Life sold to Izzy's Coffee Den owners

ASHEVILLE — A West Asheville coffee shop that has been the source of controversy and protests in recent weeks was quietly handed over Monday afternoon to new owners, who already run a successful downtown coffee house.

Kristin and Ross Britton, owners for five years of Izzy’s Coffee Den on North Lexington, acquired the equipment and lease for Waking Life Espresso.

“We have been looking for a location for a long time, and we have been interested in West Asheville for a long time,” Kristin Britton said Monday as a locksmith was changing locks on the former Waking Life business. “We envision a sweet neighborhood shop that reflects this neighborhood and that will be fun to come to every day.”

Waking Life had been a source of fierce controversy after former owners Jared Rutledge and Jacob Owens were connected to misogynistic Internet posts that came to light last month.

Protests and controversy forced Rutledge and Owens to abandon plans for a second location downtown on Patton Avenue, and at 5 p.m. Monday, the deal closed ending their ownership of Waking Life in West Asheville, which had been a Haywood Road fixture for about five years.

Both men were at the yellow house removing items, including a mattress and other bedroom furniture, from the building. Each declined comment.

Kristin Britton said she and her husband had been looking for a West Asheville location for years, and often came close to deals that fell through at the last minute.

Several potential buyers had expressed interest in the Waking Life location, though the Brittons were not among those who publicly said they were vying for the shop.

Kristin Britton said she imagines a coffee house with a vibe that will fit the area, and the couple has not settled on a name for the new location. They are calling it a “sister shop” to Izzy’s, and expect an opening in six to eight weeks.

She expects it will offer a similar menu to Izzy’s – one that offers not only coffee drinks, but also bagels, cookies and scones baked in-house.

“We have been looking for years,” she said. “This is just perfect.”