Nostalgic for coffee shops? Feel some deja brew with these COVID-friendly cafes

Caffé Driade gave its customers a bit of "deja-brew" when the shop reopened on Tuesday after closing earlier in the year due to lack of business from COVID-19. As with many shops and small businesses, the pandemic has changed the operations of the business but not the atmosphere of the coffee shops in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. 

Caffè Driade

Caffè Driade is nestled into a wooded watershed off of Franklin Street. Scott Conary, the owner of Caffè Driade and Open Eye Cafe, said that the environment is one of the unique features that Caffè Driade has to offer. 

“It’s like you’ve been transported somewhere else entirely,” Conary said. 

The re-opening of this shop was long awaited. Alexandra Mauney, a junior studying sports administration and advertising and public relations, said she goes to many local shops, but Caffè Driade is one of her favorites. 

“Caffè Driade is really quaint, and it’s more of a peaceful, outdoors environment,” Mauney said. “Sometimes I go sit in there just to hangout.”

While Mauney is excited about the shop’s reopening, she is curious to see how the shop will mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Caffè Driade will operate on limited hours, restrict seating to outdoor only, as well as introduce a new ordering system. Customers will be able to place their orders at the front door through a window.

Caffè Driade’s operating hours are from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the weekends. In addition to the new ordering system, the shop offers limited outdoor seating.

Open Eye Cafe

According to Conary, Open Eye Cafe has been nicknamed “Carrboro’s Living Room.” Conary says that before COVID-19, the shop was packed with diverse customers with a range of jobs and educational levels, from college students to young professionals. 

Open Eye Cafe is open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on the weekends. This shop offers outdoor seating and requires mask wearing while ordering. They are prioritizing distancing by offering online ordering and curbside delivery.

Epilogue

Housed on Franklin Street, this shop doubles as a coffee shop and a bookstore. Epilogue serves coffee, teas and pastries. Additionally, they serve Mexican hot chocolate, Aguas Frescas, and traditional Spanish baked goods, such as empanadas and churros.

Evelyn Moses, a sophomore studying global studies and journalism, said the ambience and the Mexican hot chocolate are what attracts her to the shop. 

“The Mexican hot chocolate is one thing that I could go there to get that I wouldn’t find anywhere else,” Moses said.

Co-owner of Epilogue, Jaime Sanchez, said that the Spanish pastries served at the shop are from recipes he loved growing up and were passed down through his family. He and his wife, who is the other co-owner, wanted to honor their family culture and heritage. 

“We’re a family of readers. We’re a multicultural family, and we hope to represent that in the products we sell and the people we employ,” Sanchez said.

Epilogue Books and Chocolate Brews is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and from 9 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. To adjust to COVID-19 guidelines and regulations, limited indoor and outdoor seating is offered.

Gray Squirrel Coffee Company

Gray Squirrel has its own roastery, so not only do they sell coffee and pastries, they also sell coffee beans for customers to make their own coffee at home.

Shaw Sturton, owner of Gray Squirrel, said they had to close down for a few months because of the pandemic. 

“For the safety of our staff and customers, we felt that we should go ahead and shut our doors,” Sturton said. 

The shop now operates on temporary hours and limited operations including a limited menu and no indoor seating options. 

Gray Squirrel Coffee Company is open from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on the weekends. 

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