Local Limelight with Omie's owner Addison Yarbrough
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Photo: Courtesy of Addison Yarbrough
When Addison Yarbrough took over a former tire shop on Roxboro Street four years ago, the place looked like it was covered in an inch of grime, and a drum of waste oil had been left behind.
Why it matters: Today that building — now painted blush pink and decidedly less greasy — is Omie's Coffee Shop, one of the Triangle's most popular spots for adventurous latte flavors and community events. (Even the Jonas Brothers were fans.)
What they're saying: "I've always had the dream of opening a coffee shop," Yarbrough told Axios. "Drinking coffee just feels like a very familial thing to do with someone and a way to get to know them."
- "[Omie's] has always been about building community and having a third space for neighbors to come to," she added.
We talked with Yarbrough, owner of Omie's Coffee Shop and Roastery in Durham, for our latest Local Limelight conversation. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
🎤 Is it true you weren't in the shop when Joe and Kevin Jonas swung by on their way to their concert? Yes, devastating. It's crazy because I live close by. But nobody called me when they asked if we would stay open. But it's probably for the best that I wasn't here because I would have totally embarrassed myself.
- They did give us free tickets to their show. It was just totally a mind blower.
- Note: Joe ordered a pumpkin cortado and Kevin got a brown butter pumpkin pie latte.
🎓 How did you end up in the Triangle? I am originally from Burlington. Then I went to UNC-Chapel Hill. After I graduated in 2018, I taught elementary school for three years in Youngsville.
- But I always had the dream of opening a coffee shop.
🍿 What do you think the Triangle is missing? This may be so silly, but I think the Triangle is missing a drive-in movie theater.
📱 First read in the morning? It used to be The New York Times' Connections. But now it's honestly email.
🥗 Favorite place to eat? I really like Ajja in Raleigh. But we go to Lakewood Social at least once a week. We really like the food and Mabel (her daughter) likes to run around.
🎧 Go-to podcast? "Ride" with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone
📖 Last great book you read? "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. It's a classic that's actually worth reading.
☀️ What song is stuck in your head right now? "Solar Power" by Lorde
🧶 How do you unplug at the end of the day? I love to knit. The last sweater I made took four months to make, so I really like how slow it is.
☕️ Where do you go for inspiration when making new drinks? A lot of inspiration comes from stuff I can find in the kitchen. Last summer the menu was based off stuff I could find in my grandmother's (Omie's) kitchen.
- She cooked very simply, but I think that's where I got my taste from. Like a peanut-butter-and-jelly latte. Those are like pretty simple flavors, but they're kind of adventurous in coffee.
👀 What are you looking forward to? I'm really enjoying running the business right now, honestly. Four years in, I feel like we're settled in more than we used to be. Each year, I've done like a really big change to the business, so I am trying to let Omie's settle into itself and become what it's going to become.