Waterbean Coffee
Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // coffee shop // local classic
the ELEVATOR PITCH
At a quick glance, you may write Waterbean off as another coffee chain that just couldn’t get big enough to compete with Starbucks. But what makes Waterbean unique is that, even though it has the crown for the largest & fastest growing coffee shop in North Carolina (with a cool international location in Da Nang, Vietnam!), it somehow hasn’t allowed its fame to go to its head. Instead, Waterbean has created a brand of modern elegance whose staples include sapphire-blue velvet chairs paired with marble table tops, white & black tiles, and gold features. Birthed in 2013 in Cornelius, North Carolina, Waterbean may be a chain, but it’s kept a small business feel.
When you decide to make a visit, make sure you’re coming for their specialty: coffee! Waterbean hand-picks the coffee they source, and they choose only USDA-Certified Organic from around the world. After selection, the coffee beans are hand-roasted in small batches in Huntersville, NC, and you can choose which bean you want to enjoy in your drink when you order.
While they do rock the coffee scene, Waterbean also has non-coffee options that aren’t just your average matcha latte or tea bag in hot water. They have an amazing loose leaf tea selection (you can even smell samples!), and with the founders’ international backgrounds, their menu also offers a delicious nitro Thai tea and Ube foam latte, an ode to their Asian heritage.
Whether you’re looking for a hardcore drip coffee or you’re wanting to switch it up, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by each drink’s brilliant composition.
the RÉSUMÉ
address // multiple locations in the Charlotte area, we went to the one in downtown Pineville: 333 Main St, Pineville, NC 28134
operations // Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM; Saturday - Sunday, 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
logistics // plenty of public parking in lots across the street, else you can find street parking
vibes // pretty consistent from location to location, comfy & padded velvet chairs, marble-designed tables; a lot of people are spotted working here during the day
amenities //
1-2 public restrooms (no changing table)
free WiFi, outlets are available on the walls
menu //
beverages (~$4.00 - $6.00): coffee + espresso (they roast their own brand of beans in Huntersville, NC), matcha, tea
*syrups used in beverages are not made in-house
baked goods ($2.00 - $5.00): brownies, cookies, muffins (the baked goods are made at their warehouse in north Charlotte and shipped out)
site // Waterbean Coffee
Other Locations
📍Belmont, North Carolina
❤️ plenty of free parking in the lots surrounding the storefront
❤️ free WiFi & plenty of outlets
❤️ there’s a grand piano that is played by guests from time-to-time!
📍Quail Corners, Charlotte, North Carolina
❤️ free parking available in the lot out front
❤️ free WiFi & plenty of outlets
~ cath!!
The velvet chairs are P H E N O M E N A L
How are their baked goods?