Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Local car meetups such as Cars & Coffee are held all over the world and have been around for some time now. Since Automotive Rhythms attends a plethora of these events in the Washington, D.C. region and beyond, my cousin – also a fellow car enthusiast — Anthony Pankey and I felt that it was time to manifest one in our community, so welcome to The Auto Brunch.
The concept is documented as starting in 1983 in Southern California with “Donut Derelicts” by four friends who began gathering at Adams Ave Donuts in Huntington Beach, California while escorting their sons dirt bike riding and talking politics literally over coffee and donuts. By February of 1985 the group decided to start meeting at the shop with their vehicles. As with any reoccurring gathering, one-by-one local street rod owners heard the buzz and joined in. Soon after every hot rod, street rod, classic and specialty creation from the South Bay to Laguna and parts unknown had heard about the Adams Avenue Donut meet and the group grew to hundreds every weekend and included local legends such as Art Chrisman (drag racer from the 60s), Little John Butera (formerly with Hot Rods by Boyd) and Chip Foose.
Typical to most popular Cars & Coffee meetups such as Cars & Coffee Irvine, Katies Cars and Coffee in Great Falls, VA and Caffeine and Octane in Atlanta GA, it soon became impossible finding a decent parking space if you weren’t out and about during the dark hours of the morning (with all spots taken before 6:30 am). With this popularity growth problems began to arise such as resident complaints and shopping center security having issues with traffic backup. Taking the aforementioned into account, organization, planning and community involvement are essential for success.
While most Cars & Coffees take place at a coffee shop, Automotive Rhythms and Throttle Life decided to step it up and host our gathering at a local restaurant and include real food. Brunches have taken over in popularity and still create a fun, family environment so we aptly titled this series The Auto Brunch, an automotive and motorcycle meetup for enthusiasts seeking to proudly display their amazing rides. We partnered with Irie Café located at the Woodmore Shopping Centre in Glenarden Maryland to host the kickoff event. They provided an authentic Caribbean culinary experience fused with American soul for the patrons that decided to dine in. In addition to the car meet, I always like to incorporate a charitable cause so a coat drive was established to help the less fortunate stay warm during cold weather months. Many supporters dropped off new and gently worn outerwear that were distributed to those in need using the Automotive Rhythms 2016 Titanium Silver Kia Sorento SXL AWD, otherwise known as one of the industry’s top-ranking cross-over vehicles.
The Sorento came right on time for this haul as the latest rendition is bigger and better for 2016. With its progressive and sporty design it is also an appealing alternative to the five and seven-passenger SUVs that were roaming the parking lot. The cargo capacity has also grown which was a perfect fit for loading in the donated bags and boxes. The 2016 Kia Sorento features a 38.8 cubic foot cargo bay behind the second-row seat, with maximum capacity hitting 73.5 cubes after folding the second row. With most five-passenger cross-overs, this is more than what you would typically expect but it was greatly appreciated.
Inaugural partners included Irie Café, Automotive Rhythms, Throttle Life, BikeLife Apparel, Divaz Incorporated, Mothers Car polish and Shoe City. The support from the car community and local businesses was encouraging. Stay tuned as Anthony Pankey and I continue working diligently on the next session just in time for a Christmas toy drive.
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