A new Greek cafe is coming to Charlotte, with Greek coffee, crepes, paninis and wine
We may not be able to travel to Greece at the moment because of COVID-19, but two brothers from the European country are bringing a taste of Greece to Charlotte. Vasilis and Antonio Paspalaris will soon open their new coffee and wine bar, Vibe Cafe and Wine, in the former space of Dilworth’s Queen and Glass.
The brothers, both born in Greece, moved to Charlotte at the ages of 8 and 5, and often traveled back to Greece with their family.
“As a Greek family, we drank lots of coffee,” Vasilis Paspalaris, co-owner of Vibe Cafe and Wine, told CharlotteFive. “The cafes there are very laid back and often play music and serve food.”
With Charlotte being a melting pot of cultures and nationalities, the two felt that a Greek-style coffee lounge would be perfect for the city, and actually do well. They began eyeing the Queen and Glass space before Queen and Glass actually moved in, but the timing didn’t work out. Once they saw it was available again, they hopped on the chance to secure the space for their own concept.
“We fell in love with the location because it has lots of foot traffic and it is close to Freedom Park. It also has space for us to create an outdoor seating area, too.”
Queen and Glass closed its doors earlier this year. The restaurant recently announced on social media that it will reopen in early 2021 in the new B-Tower of uptown’s 5th Street District.
Traditional Greek coffee cooked in sand
Vibe Cafe will feature an array of coffee styles and profiles found all around the world. The brothers are working closely with local roaster Pure Intentions Coffee to create versions of some of their favorites from Greece.
One style that will be featured on the menu is traditional Greek coffee. Greek and Turkish coffees are made using similar processes, the only main difference is the name of the dishes used to prepare the coffee.
“We take a Havoli, which is a large bowl, and fill it with sand,” Paspalaris said. “We place the coffee and water in a tin can, then heat the bowl of sand over a gas stove. The sand cooks the coffee and gives it a very strong flavor.”
Also on the menu: Wine and paninis, crepes and desserts
In addition to the coffee, the cafe will offer an assortment of wines, as well as a food menu. They are hoping to keep things on the healthier side with lots of salads and paninis. There will also be crepes, waffles and desserts made in-house daily.
Half of the space will be filled with lots of light for those who want the traditional coffee shop vibe and are looking to settle in and work. The other half will be somewhat dim to give the vibe of being in a wine shop or lounge, with music playing over the speakers.
There will be couches, lounge chairs and a small outdoor garden filled with plants and string lights.
“We are literally creating the same vibe that we get in Greek cafes. We want people to come in for coffee and end up staying for 3-4 hours.”
Vibe Cafe will open around early November. It will be open 7 days a week starting at 6 a.m. Closing times will vary by day.
Vibe Cafe and Wine
1315 East Blvd.
Instagram: @vibecafeandwine
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 1:56 PM.
