When coffee connoisseurs Miracle and James Yonder first opened their flagship Charlotte location, Not Just Coffee intended to help customers look beyond the cup. They didn’t just serve a steaming hot latte (or espresso, or tea); they served a drink backed by ethically-sourced ingredients and local partnerships, a drink backed by hundreds of spilled cups and burned hands as baristas learned to create that perfect taste. With innovative equipment and techniques, Not Just Coffee truly offers more in terms of experience and taste than the average coffee shop.
Starting with its Dilworth location, Not Just Coffee is adding to its eclectic name with the addition of a full cocktail menu and all-new food selections.
“Adding cocktails to Not Just Coffee is something that I’ve been wanting to do,” notes James.
We wanted to keep it really simple and we didn’t want to get so crazy-focused on elaborate drinks, but we wanted to bring in that element of really well-done cocktails.
Among those well-done cocktails are the house’s signature drinks, like their sweet Amaro Mule, their coffee-based Adrenaline Rush, and their aptly-named What’s the Dill. Rounding out those signature creations is the classics menu, complete with the full flavors of beloved drinks like the Tom Collins, Daquiri, and the Brandy Old Fashioned. Each drink is made with high-quality ingredients, fresh garnishes, and the same attention and care that goes into their coffee. Topping off their drink selections with a curated wine list by Josh [no last name], Not Just Coffee’s new menu has something for everyone.
Leading the charge into new culinary territory is their head chef Carmen Fisher, a Johnson and Wales graduate with over 10 years of experience in the food industry. After joining the company at the Packard location and learning the ins and outs of every coffee profile, Carmen ultimately made her way back into the kitchen to create their Dilworth menu.
“We started with food at Packard,” says James, “and I think that was us kind of dipping our toes in the water to try food…Then we did a test kitchen, and Carmen made a bunch of dishes, and everything she brought out was a hit right away. We barely had to tweak anything.”
Under Carmen’s direction, Not Just Coffee expanded upon Packard’s breakfast menu and added a full afternoon and evening menu, as well as some bar snack options, like Spiced Candied Nuts or a Charcuterie Board. The new menu also features fresh salads, flatbreads, and even Galician-Style Octopus.
Whether it’s cocktails or pasta salad, Not Just Coffee’s new menu items have the same care and expertise behind them that’s behind every cup of coffee. To go along with their new creations, Not Just Coffee has extended their Dilworth hours to 9 p.m. weekdays and 10 p.m. weekends, with the possibility of expanding further as demand dictates.
