Seven coffee shops to explore in Hampton Roads

Something’s brewing in Hampton Roads.

Several coffee shops have opened this year, featuring iced and hot specialty and traditional drinks, pastries, and other food choices. They are designed to attract people looking for their daily fix and nondrinkers who want to join them. Arrive early. Stay late. The environments are suitable for anyone looking to chill and those who want to grab and go.

The menus reflect a growing trend. Lattes, espressos and cappuccinos are in a three-way tie for America’s most popular specialty coffee beverage, according to a 2023 National Coffee Data Trends report commissioned by the National Coffee Association. It also found about one-third (32%) of past-week coffee drinkers had flavored coffee, with vanilla being the most popular, followed by mocha, hazelnut and caramel.

Coffee lovers can get their favorites at these seven places in the area now and add two others to the list for later.

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A steady stream of cars rolled through the drive-thru at 7 Brew Coffee at midday on a Sunday. A song by 50 Cent played on the loudspeaker as smiling teenagers with keypads took orders carside.

The chain coffee shop offered seven iced and hot original flavors, such as Blondie (caramel and vanilla breve), Cinnamon Roll (white chocolate and brown sugar cinnamon) and German Chocolate Mocha (coconut and caramel mocha). It also had classic coffees, teas, smoothies and shakes. Customers used the QR code displayed to pull up the menu, which included more than 25 syrup flavors, some sugar-free.

Service was quick and easy. Busy folks would love this spot near Jefferson Avenue. 5018 W. Mercury Blvd., Newport News. 479-358-9274; Visit 7brew.com.

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C4 Classic Colombian Coffee Cafe was a colorful locale in the Woodtide Shopping Center, serving more than 15 drinks such as the popular caramel brulee latte and Nutella latte. A few teas and lemonades were available, too. Other menu items included open faced toast (caprese and the Elvis, for example), breakfast classics and other sandwiches, and bakery items like cookies and Colombian empanadas.

This veteran-owned cafe featured artwork by Colombian artists, which set the mood for a midmorning retreat. LPs designed to resemble the artist hung in the middle of the wall between pictures of Groucho Marx and Marilyn Monroe. It made the place seem alluring and fun.

C4 came across as a cool meeting space for friends and remote workers. 4676 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach. 757-758-3700; Visit c4cafes.com.

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Colattao Coffee House was a groovy establishment. Textured walls, wicker plates and brick design wallpaper made the space feel warm and inviting. Couches and homey chairs sat on the right side of the room and different styles of stools and chairs on the left. Plants throughout added a nice touch. A see-through bookshelf with mugs, moka pots and bagged coffee for purchase divided the room. The clink and clatter of coffee cups being stacked led to the back, where the counter was located to order.

Colattao used Colombian coffee to prepare about six classic drinks. The signature list sounded interesting, for instance churro latte, coconut matcha and rose lavender lemonade. Two specialty ones were written on a chalkboard; rum cake, made with a house blend rum syrup and Irish rum sauce, and dark chocolate orange, made with dark chocolate syrup. The countertop display case held chocolate croissants, muffins, rustic coffee cake, chocolate chip cookies and more. For guests who wanted more substance, croissant sandwiches were available, such as the Monte Cristo and the apricot chicken cheddar. A large round table near the cash register could hold a family of four.

Remote workers and a mature crowd would appreciate the energy in this cool place near Haygood Road. 1115 Independence Blvd., Virginia Beach. 757-937-3060; Visit instagram.com/colattao.

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The High Cup seemed like a place where everyone wore dark clothing and sunglasses and snapped their fingers to show admiration. There were about 10 javas and just as many teas to choose from on the digital menu board.

Two customers sat on a black couch playing dominoes on the coffee table; other board games were housed underneath. Another guest ordered one of the shop’s six Korean bowls for lunch and one of three slushies. She sat at a table with pink suede chairs to wait. The oversized garage door with windows overlooking Princess Anne Road illuminated the place, allowing diners to clearly see the local artwork hanging on the white brick walls from the front to the back of the room. “Artists get 100 percent of the sales,” Joseph Nieves, the owner, said.

Creatives would feel at home here, as would those who like playing board games while sipping their cafe au lait. 117 E. Princess Anne Road, Norfolk. 540-676-0019; Visit highcupnfk.com.

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Joyu Tea & Coffee had a hefty tea menu but the selection of coffees for the phin — the Vietnamese filter/press — wasn’t puny. It had more than 10, including an Americano, Vietnamese coffee and caramel macchiato. The pastries were minimal, mainly croissants and a croffle.

Young adults ordered at the counter; some scanned the QR code on the display sign. They sat and waited in white chairs that matched the tables and walls. The room looked simple and neat. High schoolers gossiped and sipped their bubble teas while staff placed beverages on a nearby bookshelf labeled for third-party delivery services. A cursive sign on the wall reminded customers to “Listen to Your Cravings.”

3545 Buckner Blvd., Virginia Beach, near South Independence. 757-301-2384; Visit joyuteacoffee.com.

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Operation Brew, a coffee shop and bakery, is across the street from the Naval Air Station Oceana commissary on Oceana Boulevard, not on base. It offered a range of about 15 coffees, from raf (half and half and vanilla sugar) to cappuccino to mocha latte. A display case filled with delicious-looking pastries kept customers standing in line mesmerized as they waited to order. The coffeehouse also had lemonades, refreshers and teas for customers seeking something different. Sandwiches and wraps rounded out the menu.

The modern styled place had ample seating with lights dangling from the ceiling in the center of the room and a lounge area on the right with an Instagrammable wall with artificial vines. Other tables were filled with families, girlfriends and military members. It had a youthful, chill vibe that made everyone feel welcome. A customer took a bite of a croissant stuffed with strawberries and chantilly cream and said, “This is the most amazing thing; I can live off this. I want to come back tomorrow morning.”

1329 Oceana Blvd., Virginia Beach. 757-937-8179; Visit operationbrewva.com. Near General Booth Boulevard.

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Rich Port Coffee had a simple selection of Puerto Rican coffee: drip, caffe latte, Americano, cappuccino, cold brew, espresso shot and mocha latte. Perfect for a business inside an office building on the corner of Norfolk’s Main Street and Waterside Drive.

Workers don’t have much time to navigate an extensive menu, which also consists of pastries such as muffins, tres leches and pan de bono. Some customers ate at one of the three high-top tables. Couches were nearby. The coffee counter with a wooden overhang was noticeable at the entrances on both sides.

Tourists can pop in on their way to and from Nauticus across the street or before and after they set sail on a Carnival cruise. Bagged coffee, moka pots, local snacks and other products were available for purchase. 150 W. Main St., Norfolk. 757-322-7017. Visit richportcoffee.com.

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Buckroe Coffee Co. had planned a grand opening for last month but ran into some delays. No new updates have been posted to its social media page. In April, more than 4 million people watched an Instagram video of the shop’s renovations in which a hidden vault was discovered in the building, a former bank. (No treasure was found, the Daily Press reported.) The owner hopes to make the vault and the hole he made to get inside it part of the coffee shop’s aesthetic. 1936 E. Pembroke Ave., Hampton. 757-879-1341. Visit buckroecoffee.com. Near Old Buckroe Road.

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Pangaea Coffee Emporium plans to open in Poquoson soon. A post on its Facebook page describes the shop as having a dense tropical jungle atmosphere. “It will serve culturally rich coffee beverages, teas, lemonades and tapas that are inspired by countries and their cultures from around the world.” 200 Fountains Lane, Poquoson. Visit instagram.com/pangaeacoffeeemporium.

Rekaya Gibson, 757-295-8809, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia; on Twitter, @gibsonrekaya

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