5 Charlotte coffee shops that give back to the community
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Change Please Cafe in the Belmont neighborhood. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
Charlotte has no shortage of coffee shops where you can work remotely. There's even a growing number of mobile coffee shops popping up around town. And, there are a handful that specialize in community outreach.
Why it matters: These five cafés stand out because of the good they do in our community.
Bitty & Beau's
Bitty & Beau's in South End employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Founders Amy and Ben Wright opened the first location in Wilmington in 2016, naming it after their youngest children, who both have Down Syndrome. Since then, they've expanded to 19 locations across the country.
Stop by: 1930 Camden Rd.
Go deeper: Bitty & Beau's Coffee opens in South End
Cakeable Cafe
Cakeable is a local nonprofit that offers a development program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- John and Renee Ratcliffe, a husband-and-wife team, launched the nonprofit in Charlotte in 2019 and opened the first brick-and-mortar in Uptown this year.
Stop by: 401 N Tryon St.
Go deeper: New nonprofit cafe Cakeable offers job training for people with disabilities
Change Please
100% of coffee sales here are used to support people experiencing homelessness.
- Change Please started in the United Kingdom and has expanded to eight countries. The Charlotte location, which opened in March 2023, is the first in the U.S.
- The organization trains them to be baristas, gives them employment opportunities and supports them in other areas.
Stop by: 932 Seigle Ave.. inside the Innovation Barn in the Belmont neighborhood.
Go deeper: New Innovation Barn coffee shop supports homeless mothers
Community Matters Cafe
This restaurant and coffee shop is an extension program from Charlotte Rescue Mission, a local nonprofit that provides free recovery services to men and women struggling with addiction.
- You never know who you'll see here, either: Its mission, combined with Uptown location near Bank of America Stadium, makes it a popular meeting spot for civic leaders.
Go deeper: An addict's journey to recovery through Community Matters Cafe
Higher Grounds by Manolo
Located inside Myers Park United Methodist Church, Higher Grounds donates profits from sales back into the community in the form of grants, which the church donates locally and globally each year.
- "We're being very intentional about hiring people," owner Manolo Betancur says, adding that the employees will be people who need a "second opportunity," whether they're immigrants, minorities or people with disabilities.
Go deeper: Owner of Manolo's Bakery opening a cafe inside Myers Park United Methodist Church
Bonus: Charlotte Coffee Club is a new social group that meets monthly with two main goals: making new friends and supporting Charlotte's unhoused population.
- It's technically not a coffee shop but it's a cause that combines caffeine and community, so we thought it was worth a mention in this guide.