Nov 18, 2025 - Food and Drink

Giddy Goat opens South End spot

McKenzie Rankin

Giddy Goat's South End cafe quietly opened last week. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters has soft-opened its second standalone cafe, just down the street from Suffolk Punch in South End.

Why it matters: It's the beloved Plaza Midwood shop's first big expansion, giving owner Rhyne Davis and his team more space to roast beans, bake empanadas and handle the crowds that pack their original spot.

Catch up quick: Giddy Goat opened in 2020 and quickly became a neighborhood favorite. Owner Rhyne Davis told Axios last year the kitchen was getting too tight to keep up with demand, especially for its popular empanadas.

So, the team started planning its second standalone location, with a bigger kitchen and roastery, in South End.

What to expect: The 6,380-square-foot space sits inside a former industrial building at the intersection of New Bern Street, with much of the same feel and offerings as the Plaza Midwood location.

There's a roastery, a large kitchen customers can peek into, and plenty of room to co-work, including a bar with outlets.
You'll also find a patio near the entrance and a rooftop with more seating.
There's no designated parking lot, but much of the surrounding street parking is free.

Dig in: Expect the usual Giddy Goat offerings, including espresso drinks, teas, smoothies, quiches, breakfast burritos, empanadas and pastries.

Take a look around Giddy Goat South End.

Outdoor seating area with green chairs under a yellow and blue balcony, brick building backdrop, black railings, staircase on right, and a wooden picnic table on gravel in front. — The entrance has plenty of outdoor seating for warmer days. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

Modern cafe interior with light wood and black accents, a display case of pastries and drinks, digital menu boards, and customers ordering at the counter under circular ceiling lights. — The cafe is still working to get fully staffed, so expect a longer line and shorter hours during the soft opening. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

Indoor coffee roasting area with large black roasting machines, exposed brick walls, green tables and chairs, a man sitting thoughtfully, and two people working behind glass. — If you turn left at the counter, you'll walk into the roastery and kitchen section, which also offers seating. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

Cozy cafe with brick walls and large windows showing fall trees outside. People working on laptops at wooden tables and leather chairs under circular ceiling lights. — Turn right, and you'll enter the main seating area, filled with tables and a bar with charging outlets. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

White square plate with three golden empanadas and a small container of green sauce on a wooden table, next to a blue coffee cup and a tall glass of iced coffee with a straw in a cafe setting. — We ordered an iced coffee ($3), an oat milk cappuccino ($5) and three empanadas — chicken, caprase and Patagonia ($4/each or three for $11). Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios

Zoom out: Giddy Goat also recently reopened inside the Dowd YMCA as part of the gym's lobby revamp, with a new coffee bar and a bigger menu.

Dowd YMCA giddy goat — The new Giddy Goat inside the Dowd YMCA. Photo: Courtesy of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte

If you go: The South End cafe, at 3001 Griffith St., is still working to staff up.

For now, it's open Monday-Friday from 7am-1pm but expects to expand hours to 7am to 7pm daily soon, co-founder Carson Clough tells Axios.
The original Plaza location is open 7am-7pm daily.
The Dowd cafe is open Monday-Thursday 6:30am-7pm, Friday 6:30am-1pm and Saturday 8am-1pm. It's open to non YMCA members and complimentary parking is available, says Clough.

Related Axios read: The 34 best coffee shops for working remotely in Charlotte

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Giddy Goat opens South End spot

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