Nov 28, 2023 - Things to Do
The best coffee shops for remote work in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The cafe counter at The Optimist. Photo: Lucille Sherman/Axios
There are certainly more people working from home these days.
But if you're like us and often find yourself in need of a change of location during your day, we put together a guide to some of the Triangle's best coffee shops for remote work.
In no particular order, here are a few of the spots where we — and many of our readers — spend most of our time.
Raleigh
- One of Raleigh's most beloved coffee shops, The Optimist has taken off in recent months. It recently opened a cart at PNC Arena and will soon open a second location at The Exchange Raleigh, a billion-dollar development in North Hills.
- It can be hard to find a seat inside, but if you're patient, The Optimist is a cozy spot to post up for a bit with a latte in hand (may we suggest The Stacey?) and a breakfast sandwich to snack on.
- Location: 1000 Brookside Dr., Suite 109
- Iris is one of Raleigh's smaller shops, but it features a plethora of outlets and a small but mighty menu of tea, espresso and breakfast and lunch options.
- Pro tip: The shop makes a delicious blue matcha latte (Lucille likes to drink it iced), a mean oat milk latte and, if you get there before 11am on weekdays, their breakfast sandwiches, made with New York bagels, are some of the best in town.
- Location: 725 Tucker St.
Black & White Coffee at Videri Chocolate Factory
- Also one of Raleigh's smaller coffee spots, Black & White makes up for its size in reliably consistent espresso drinks and the smell of chocolate wafting under your nose.
- While you're there, we fully support grabbing a soft service ice cream to enjoy with a whole milk latte, if that's your thing.
- Location: 327 W Davie St.
- If you're more of a tea drinker and need as much natural light as you can get, Heirloom might be the spot for you.
- The shop has plenty of outlets, a couple of cozy chairs and can be a great place for taking meetings with a (little bit) larger group. Plus, they recently started serving dinner, and we're itching to try it.
- Location: 219 S West St.
- Pine State is a great spot for solo working, and also happens to be Zach's favorite shop in Raleigh.
- The shop has high-top community tables inside, with even more seating outside on its patio. Plus, it shares a space with Runologie, so when you need a break, you can browse running shoes and on-sale gear.
Jubala Coffee (Hillsborough location)
- A staple in the Raleigh coffee scene, Jubala has a sprawling menu with plenty of seasonal specials and made-in-house biscuits.
- The shop is best for solo working, with plenty of bar seating and small booths with access to outlets, but it has a few tables for groups of 4.
- 2100 Hillsborough St.
Bonus: Benchwarmers Bagels in Transfer Food Hall serves excellent coffee, plus the best bagels in town, and Transfer has tons of space for remote work.
- Boulted Bread is also a great place to work and sip on (really, really good) espresso drinks, but has a slim selection of outlets. But, bread.
Durham
- Durham's swankiest hotel lobby is also one of the city's favorite places to take a meeting or get some work done thanks to its cozy booths and tables.
- Pro tip: Order the hotel's signature coffee soda.
- Location: 315 E. Chapel Hill St.
- It's only been open for a couple of months, but the Common Market is quickly becoming a magnet for people doing computer work or taking meetings thanks to its plentiful tables upstairs, downstairs and (when it's warm) outside.
- It helps that you can quickly order a delicious sandwich, snacks, drinks or order a coffee from Mid Bloom while you work as well.
- Location: 1821 Green St.
Cocoa Cinnamon (Chapel Hill Road)
- Of Cocoa Cinnamon's three popular coffee shops in Durham, the Chapel Hill Street location is its most spacious, with several long rows of tables ideal for coworking.
- It's also the only location that makes in-house churros — the sweet remote work pairing you didn't know you needed.
- Location: 2013 Chapel Hill Road
- One of Durham's oldest coffee shops, Bean Traders in South Durham has space and parking aplenty.
- Location: 105 W. N.C. 54 Highway
Bonus: Namu's cafe on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard has a beautiful outdoor space on warm days. The Oak House, while on the smaller side, is a popular meeting spot in downtown Durham.
Chapel Hill/Carrboro
- An abundance of tables and outlets and WiFi as strong as its coffee, there's a reason Open Eye Cafe has been a favorite haunt for graduate students and townies alike for years.
- Pro tip: Grab some food next door at Neal's Deli before or after you start working.
- Location: 101 S. Greensboro St., Carrboro
- You'll be competing with students for a table, but Epilogue's collection of books and Mexican breakfast options makes it worth it.
- Location: 109 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
Bonus: The small Caffe Driade mainly consists of outdoor seating but it's lovely to work essentially in a forest on a nice day.
Morrisville
- Since it opened in 2018, The Fount has provided a welcome gathering spot for the area around Research Triangle Park, which had no shortage of workers but few places besides offices for them to work out of.
- Pro tip: Lucille thinks The Fount has the best pumpkin spice latte in town.
- Location: 10954 Chapel Hill Road