How much love can you fit in a latte?

☕️ For the Love of Coffee, Community and Inclusion
Just off Chatham St. on S. Academy in Cary, you'll find a little white house with a teal door. Inside, prepare to experience the most joyful cup of coffee in town. Esteamed Coffee is a non-profit coffee shop and café located in Cary, NC. Their mission is to lower the unemployment rate and increase the quality of life for adults with intellectual, developmental, communication, and/or visual disabilities by creating meaningful jobs and social opportunities in a warm, supportive environment. But as a customer, you'll feel like their sole mission is to make you the best cup of coffee, delivered with love and gratitude that you walked through that teal door.

I spoke with general manager Rebecca Malynowsky about the day-to-day operations of Esteamed, and she shared that the goal is for staff to eventually move on to bigger things. “We welcome staff to Esteamed with the expectation that we can give them the training and support to move on to other employment with more responsibility and even more growth,” she explained. At Esteamed, employees work and manage behind the counter independently, but they always have the support of Rebecca or other support staff sitting at one of the tables in the shop. Rebecca said they are just there in case something unexpected happens, but most of the time, Esteamed baristas and employees can work through the unexpected as well.

On the first of every month, you'll find local Realtor Nancy Grace set up with her “mini-me” at a table. She’s not there to sell you a house, though. She’s there to buy you a coffee! She said most people are prepared to say, “I’m not moving” until I let them know I want to buy them coffee and their surprised look is the best thing ever. Nancy is one of the founding financial supporters of Esteamed Coffee and you’ll find her name on the wooden recognition plaque at the front of the shop. “I read that they were opening and I wanted to be a part of it. I knew I didn’t have time to volunteer, but I wanted to be involved. It’s really an incredible place,” she said. Nancy has been a part of the Cary community for more than 20 years and prides herself on being an active part of the entire Triangle area. “This is a special place and I love that I get to be a part of it.” She said when she buys coffee for patrons sometimes they spend more on food or they buy swag or they tip a little higher than normal. It’s a win win for her, the community and for Esteamed.

As we sat at a window table in the front and chatted, I watched people come in and out. Some were there for the first time, learning about the mission and experiencing Esteamed for the first time. Others were regulars, greeted with excitement by those that recognized them. There were even parents of kids with disabilities visiting to show how much love and acceptance of a community can be found in a cup of coffee.

I picked up a t-shirt while I was there and was happy to discover that the designer of the shirt also made my coffee. Barista Ryan was proud that I was buying his shirt, and Rebecca let me know that all of their art and swag, designed by employees and community members with disabilities, is sold with the profits going directly to the designer. I was psyched that I was getting a really cool blue tye dye t-shirt that said, “Smiling makes my heart happy.” I can say with complete confidence that Esteamed makes my heart happy too. Molly is another barista at Esteamed and her new tote bag design was recently released. She is pictured above after autographing one for Nancy Grace.

So, the next time you think about hitting the drive-through for a quick cup of joe or a snack, check the time to see if you have a few more minutes to park at Esteamed and walk in. I promise you, it will be the best decision of your week and time well spent.

See the menu, hours and location of Esteamed HERE

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