Buy Local. It’s a huge fad right now, and hopefully will survive from fad to a way of life for future generations. Triad Coffee Shops know all about local. Not only are they locally owned and operated, they rely on local businesses for their menu items and services. The Coffee Shops also supply their specialties to other local businesses, weaving an intricate web of interdependence and interest throughout the Triad.
By necessity of climate and geography, the coffee and tea served by local shops must come from far-away places, however, most coffee shops use local roasters for their beans, such as Larry’s Beans, Carolina Coffee Company, and Joe Van Gogh and Chad’s Chai & Tea Co. in Davidson County supplies interesting tea combinations to several local coffee shops.
Many of the coffee shops featured on our Guide page boast particular menu items they create themselves, such as fudge, gelato, cakes, pastries, sandwiches, and much, much more. Several coffee shops feature dairy products from Homeland Creamery in Julian. Local farms supply fruits and vegetables for daily menu items, and the list goes on.
Café Roche, in addition to Homeland Creamery ice cream, features a Winkler Bakery Moravian Cookie in its custom designed Moravian Star latté. The Wet Whistle Co. features numerous North Carolina wineries for its impressive wine inventory and it’s Friday night wine tasting events.
Krankie’s coffee can be purchased at Krankie’s, of course, and at the deli at Whole Foods in Winston-Salem, at Camino Bakery, and other Winston-Salem locations. In an ultimate story of symbiotic relationships, Camino Bakery grew out of a local baker’s success at baking treats for Krankie’s customers. Now, baker Carrie Clifford has her own storefront café, bakery, and wine bar, and serves Krankie’s coffee to her customers!
Nearly every Triad Coffee Shop features work by local artists, photographers, jewelry makers, and even quilters. For example, Tate Street Coffee has regular art shows, Chelsee’s features local artists on a monthly basis, and Java K’s has a wide variety of art pieces on display and available for sale. Casanova’s offers craft shows and tomato and wine tastings.
Local coffee shops also feature local performing artists: bands, poets, comedians, etc., whether booked and scheduled in advance, or impromptu open-mic and competitive performances. Rev’s features live music several nights a week. Community Arts Café is a haven for the literary, performing, and visual arts. Nearly every coffee shop on our Coffee Shop Guide hosts live bands on weekends.
There are over 40 locally owned, independent coffee shops featured in our Coffee Shop Guide. Although not every one of them can be featured in this post, we can guarantee that each and every one of them gives their customers the opportunity to support local entrepreneurs. So, get out there and support them!
