How this coffee shop has remained Charlotte’s best-kept secret
In late 2019, Julie Shrader’s husband Les took her out for a birthday treat at a cozy Charlotte spot that was new (to her) called Kona Snow.
Little did she know, she would end up with way more than a coffee at the MoRA place known for its board games, hot chocolate and shaved ice.
On her second visit a couple of weeks later, the owner mentioned she was closing the establishment. Her children weren’t interested in continuing the family business, and she knew she couldn’t keep up by herself.
“We just found you. We’re losing you, and the community is, too,” Shrader said was her reaction at the time. So, the couple bought it.
“We didn’t want this to disappear from the community, and we wanted to keep what she had going – a family friendly place,” Shrader said. They also wanted this to be a learning opportunity for their children, who are homeschooled.
Charlotte’s best kept secret?
Today, with new owners and a new name, Shrader calls The Sweet Life Coffee House Charlotte’s best kept secret coffee shop. It offers a setting straight out of a storybook, where you can curl up with a coffee, hot chocolate or a snow cone and get cozy.
It is a place for locals to gather — including singles, book clubs and moms groups. A 17-year-old, Julia Agatha, started a weekly art class at the cafe, and her students range from age 7 to senior citizens.
Sprinkled around the coffee house are both older and modern board games, a corner of banned books and artwork everywhere. There’s even a mugshot wall: Grab a banned book, read it and take a picture with it. The mugshot is there for those who are “guilty of free thinking,” Shrader said.
“We want to keep the books in discussion, circulation and cause attention to this wonderful literature. I truly believe it is essential for healthy societies, communities and people to be free thinkers.”
Opened just before the pandemic
If you are reading this and wondering how you haven’t yet visited, there’s probably some unfortunate timing tied to the reason: The coffee shop opened as Sweet Life in February 2020. We all know what happened a month later: Businesses in Charlotte and across the nation shut down to decrease the spread of COVID-19.
Sweet Life Coffee House was one of them.“It was frightening,” Shrader said. “We had never been in business before. Taking it over, learning how to run a business, while homeschooling. … We were all learning this together.”
The shop reopened in fall 2020, and business began to pick up.
What to order
Customer Mosey Smith is a father of seven who said he really enjoys the family feel of Sweet Life — and he is also a boxer who is watching his sugar intake. “Being able to get a sweet drink without gaining weight is good,” he said. “There’s no better place to come and get snacks because it’s also relaxing.”
Hawaiian shaved ice, locally roasted coffee and hand-crafted teas are among menu favorites. A few of the most popular items include:
Red Bull infusions (Flavors include Beach Bum with blue raspberry, coconut and pineapple; Cherry Blossom with cherry, lime and coconut; and more.)
Lotus energy drinks
Fruit smoothies.
And if you’re not watching your sugar intake like Smith, you can save room for Sweet Life’s desserts, such as:
Affagato (Hawaiian-style espresso over ice cream with caramel and chocolate drizzle topped with coconut and shavings, nuts and whipped cream)
S’mores Bowl (vanilla ice cream, shaved ice with roasted marshmallow flavoring, graham cracker crumble, chocolate chips, marshmallow bits topped with chocolate and caramel drizzle).
Regular customer Kristin McCora said the carefree business feels like she’s sitting in the family’s living room — the staff is that friendly. “It is the ambiance, like the music, decorations — and it feels different and not stuffy,” she said. “It’s not a picture-perfect place where you think someone will judge you if you make a little mess.”
McCora uses the space to spend time with friends and teach her children checkers. “Places like this are not usually my jam because I don’t drink coffee or iced stuff, but I love it because it is nice and relaxing here.”
The Sweet Life Coffee House
Location: 1627 Sardis Rd N #4a, Charlotte, NC 28270
Neighborhood: East Forest/MoRA
Cuisine: coffee drinks, Hawaiian shaved ice
Instagram: @thesweetlifecafeclt
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
