Central Coffee will easily win in South End, but I hope the space gets cozier

I visited the coffee shop on Saturday morning at around 9:15 a.m. – the line was about 10 people deep. It was exciting to see the neighborhood awareness and support since they had only been open for three days.

I ordered a latte and the spinach quiche. I can’t remember the last time I ordered quiche, but I’ve heard that Central Coffee’s quiche is a top 5 Charlotte breakfast item. I started off ordering the ham and pepper quiche, but the 20-something next to me said, “You got to get the spinach one.” Done.

He was right. The spinach quiche was outstanding. So was the latte.

Like a true social media loser, I was looking forward to the latte being served in a mug so that I could take an artsy latte Instagram photo (I’m embarrassed to admit this), but it came out in a to-go cup. That said, my latte was the perfect temperature and tasted delicious.

Central Coffee’s space feels like the perfect size. If anything, it was larger than I anticipated.

There are three separate sitting areas.

The Agenda reported that Central Coffee ownership is adding wall art and a chalkboard menu. Even with those additions, the space stills needs more character and comfort.

It felt stiff and in need of sofas.

The good news for Central Coffee is that there’s virtually no competition – which given the neighborhood, is pretty shocking. The Starbucks real estate team must be asleep on the job.

Over time, I think you’ll see Central Coffee invest in the space and the menu. The coffee shop will become the go-to place for a quick coffee run before work, business meetings and the hungover weekend crowd. 

Central Coffee South End is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

I’ll be back. The quiche was that good. And I still need a gorgeous latte photo for Instagram.