Coffee & Treats in Taylors

The Hop’s dairy mavens look no further than their own stomping grounds when culling the fresh, local ingredients they use to concoct their gourmet ice cream. Since it’s illegal to scream for ice cream in a crowded building, servers sate fierce cravings for the glacial delight by plunging creamy scoops into organic sodas, piling them into housemade waffle cones, and drizzling them with the shop’s own hot fudge and chocolate syrup. In addition to indulgent confections, The Hop caters to health-conscious gourmands with vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free ice creams made from scratch, as well as fresh-fruit sorbets and fair-trade coffee.

In addition to appeasing sweet teeth, The Hop also serves as a welcoming hangout spot where guests can enjoy free, family-friendly events, including live music, magicians, and jugglers scheduled every Tuesday. The cheerful, carefree setting also hosts birthday parties replete with a build-your-own-sundae bar and face painting.

At Rita’s Ice, a variety of frozen treats refresh customers and satisfy sweet-tooth cravings. Their signature Italian ice blends ice and fresh fruit in flavors such as banana, cherry, piña colada, mango, and strawberry. Meanwhile, custard arrives in cups or cones, coated with hot fudge or caramel, as the mysterious gelati blends both Italian ice and custard into one delectable creation. Also available are milkshakes, hot chocolate, coffee, and Philadelphia-style hot pretzels.

Home Free Bagels' employees all have one thing in common: they each struggle with homelessness or housing concerns. The bakery sets out to reduce the hardships facing the homeless by hiring them to craft bagels for neighborhood cafés, gourmet grocery stores, and customers. Home Free Bagels also donates a portion of its profits to such organizations as Just Economics and Homeward Bound's Hope to Home Program, which both strive to end homelessness in Asheville.