The over-caffeinated Triangle Coffee Bracket found a true Cinderella story as its winner
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It’s that time of year when you’re probably busy filling out your tournament bracket. Luckily, you got ahead of the game by voting in our recent brackets for the Triangle’s best pizzeria. And coffee shop. And burger joint. And the best wings. What should we feast on next?
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The Triangle Coffee Bracket in November got a little over-caffeinated from the start, with a starting lineup of 32 local coffee shops spanning every nook and cranny from Johnston County to Carrboro.
The local coffee scene is home to world champion baristas, coffee roasters that ship beans all over the nation and neighborhood institutions where communities come together around soulful cups of freshly brewed coffee.
The Champion
Founded at tailgates and office parks, Raleigh’s 321 Coffee is the Triangle’s top shop.
But it brews up more than great cup of coffee. The quickly growing company opened its first location in the State Farmers Market and is entirely staffed by employees with developmental disabilities, built around the mission of coffee helping to create a more inclusive community.
The Runner-Up
Pine State Coffee started as a roastery and is now a beloved coffee shop just off of Raleigh’s Capital Boulevard. Owner Lars Robinson said the loyal following he’s built is owed all to the magic of beans roasted in-house.
The Final Four
Joining finalists 321 Coffee and Pine State were Garner’s Full Bloom Coffee Roasters, known for its bottled cold brew sweetened with honey, and Raleigh’s Heirloom Brewshop, a teahouse and serious coffee shop that might be the prettiest cafe around.
The Elite Eight
This round collected nearly 90,000 votes, making for a crowded field of Triangle coffee favorites. Cocoa Cinnamon, Sola Coffee Cafe, the venerable Cup-A-Joe and newcomer The Optimist have legions of fans and competed against our eventual Final Four.
The Sweet Sixteen
A perfectly brewed cup of coffee is never far, and this round featured some of the true coffee artisans in the Triangle.
In addition to the Elite Eight, this round included Jubala, Black & White and BREW as well as some of the most comforting spots to sip a cup, including Morning Times, Joe Van Gogh, Beyu Caffe and Caffe Driade.
The Starting 32
1209 Farmers Market Dr., Raleigh. 321coffee.com
134 E. Martin St., Raleigh. 919-322-1668 or 42lawrence.com
341 W. Main St., Durham. 919-683-1058 or beyucaffe.com
314 Brooks St., Wake Forest. 984-235-4027 or blackwhiteroasters.com
104 W. Main St., Clayton. 919-243-1384 or facebook.com/boulevard27527
122 E. Chatham St., Cary. 919-377-1472 or brewcoffeebar.co
1215-A E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-942-2333 or caffedriade.com
138 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-942-6875 or carolinacoffeeshop.com
721 Broad St., Durham. 919-748-3333 or clochecoffee.com
420 W. Geer St., Durham. littlewaves.coffee
3100 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. 919-732-2008 or cupajoe.com
109 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-913-5055 or epiloguebookcafe.com
530 Foster St., Suite 2, Durham. 919-797-9555 or fosterstreetcoffee.com
10954 Chapel Hill Rd., Suite 109, Morrisville. 984-888-5454 or fountcoffee.com
141 W. Main St., Garner. 919-720-4013 or fullbloomcoffee.com
360 E. Main St., Suite 100, Carrboro. graysquirrelcoffee.com
219 S. West St., Raleigh. heirloombrewshop.com
1818 Oberlin Rd., Suite 103, Raleigh. 984-200-1605 or idlehourcoffee.com
725 Tucker St., Raleigh. 919-441-7489 or iriscoffeelab.com
Four cafe locations in Chape Hill, Durham and Raleigh. joevangogh.com
8450 Honeycutt Rd., Raleigh. 919-758-8330 or jubalacoffee.com
530 Foster St., Suite 1, Durham. liturgybeverage.com
10 E. Hargett St., Raleigh. 919-836-1204 or morningtimes-raleigh.com
4112 Pleasant Valley Rd., Raleigh. 919-786-0091 or newworldcafes.com
1000 Brookside Dr., Suite 109, Raleigh. 919-896-8988 or theoptimistraleigh.com
7830 NC-751, Suite 100, Durham. 919-924-0240 or pplscoffee.com
401 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-914-6045 or perennial.cafe
1614 Automative Way, Raleigh. pinestatecoffee.com
406 S. Driver St., Durham. 919-391-8945 or rofhiwabooks.com
7705 Lead Mine Rd., Raleigh. 919-803-8983 or solacoffee.com
Dozens of locations across the Triangle. starbucks.com
714 Ninth St., Durham. 919-748-3634 or trianglecoffeehouse.com
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "The over-caffeinated Triangle Coffee Bracket found a true Cinderella story as its winner."
