GRIND 30-DAY
WRITTEN BY SHEILA DEESE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY M TODD
charlotte lifestyle july/august
23
You had me at coffee! I can’t remember a time where
coffee didn’t play a part in my day. It has always
been for me, the start of something, maybe the
day….. or maybe just the part of a process I have become
accustomed to for which without I may drift off into a field
of unproductive oblivion. Over time coffee has become
synonymous with preparation; and it is the preparation that
many of us require to start our day or at least to start it off
right. But coffee……..is no longer quite that simple; coffee
is not just how we start our day; coffee is not just strong
or weak or large or small. The word itself means so much
more. Coffee has evolved.
We used to run in to grab a quick cup on the go…. but no
more. Coffee houses have a message and that message says
come in and stay awhile, in fact, stay as long as you like;
everything you need is here…… and they mean it. Whether
it is the free Wi-Fi, the relaxed environment, the comings
and goings of familiar faces, co-working opportunities or
the overall social experience available from
stopping in and sticking around a bit, coffee houses have
started a revolution and that revolution is growing.
Our thirty day grind began as a 1 month dedication to
finding the best coffee in Charlotte, but we quickly found
out it was much more than that. Coffee shops were not just
about the drinks, but also variety, space, and authenticity.
They introduced us to new flavors, ideas, personalities. The
perfect coffee shop has become a place where we can lose
ourselves in the hours like a painter in solitude. And most
importantly, as with people, each place we visited told us a
story.
With Charlotte having so many amazing coffee shops
to visit we obviously could not mention them all….so
we decided to mention a few that really stood out as we
grinded away. We looked at atmosphere, service, variety,
and uniqueness as some of the major considerations as we
made our way around town.
Sunday morning
delight in the open
space of CoCo and
the Director
And of course CoCo’s
Zen Staircase