Take that, Seattle: Charlotte’s coffee scene just leveled up
The name “Night Swim” conjures feelings of nostalgia and adventure, and in a “sink-or-swim” year for many Charlotte businesses, it might be the perfect parallel for the city’s latest coffee brand.
Not Just Coffee and Undercurrent Coffee are combining forces to create Night Swim Coffee, a specialty coffee roastery and cafe. The flagship roastery and cafe is projected to open late summer 2021 in Lower South End at 4500 Old Pineville Road.
Night Swim Coffee will be the official roaster for two Undercurrent locations, the six Not Just Coffee locations and the soon-to-be Night Swim Coffee locations. There will be four Night Swim Coffee cafes in Charlotte within the next year, including one in Oakhurst at 1630 Oakhurst Commons Drive and two near uptown.
Todd and Erin Huber of Undercurrent Coffee and Miracle and James Yoder of Not Just Coffee have been friends for years and have informally shared industry ideas and learned from one another. The more time they spent with one another, the more they realized their vision and business goals aligned, and they brought complementary skill sets to the table. The couples dreamed of opening a roastery unique to Charlotte and knew strength came in numbers.
“It was exciting, and we realized as a team we could do a lot more,” James Yoder said.
Coffee shops are so much more than latte art and indulgent mochas
For many people, coffee shops are a Third Place (it’s not your house, it’s not your work, it’s that third place you spend your time.) And for the past year, many coffeeshop regulars have said goodbye (temporarily) to that third place, staying home during COVID-19.
We caffeine addicts miss our tertiary workspaces. With offices closed and indoor public spaces deemed unsafe, we’ve spent a year quarantined to the kitchen table or the bedroom.
New coffee shops like Night Swim offer us a ray of hope that the world is slowly waking back up from its coronavirus-forced slumber. Other local announcements include the popular Bitty & Beau’s first franchise in Charlotte and Concord-based Allegiance Coffee branching out to the suburbs.
Before COVID-19, the Hubers and Yoders got the ball rolling on their new business venture together. Once the shutdown happened, the couples took the necessary time to plan and prepare for bringing Night Swim Coffee to Charlotte.
“It was a sink-or-swim moment, it felt like,” James said. “I am really excited to be working with new people and ownership teams.”
The Yoders have been talking about the possibility of roasting for several years, Miracle told CharlotteFive. With a bigger team and the combination of high-volume shops, they are now able to cross that threshold.
What to expect
Night Swim Coffee will focus on the coffee program and will weave in light food options at some locations. Beer and wine options are being considered as a possibility down the road.
The cafe’s design is currently in the planning process, according to the Yoders. However, the atmosphere will have elements from both the Undercurrent and Not Just Coffee brands that feature new designs with a fresh look and feel.
“It’s really exciting for all of us to have worked over the last 12 months on this brand,” James Yoder said. “We are excited to share this experience with all of our customers.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 3:59 PM.
