Gray Squirrel Coffee Co

The ambiance here is amazing, and the location is perfect! There is an awesome covered outdoor area which provides a view of downtown Carrboro and the diverse crowds of people passing by, and the interior is cozy but still spacious enough for a large crowd. The coffee is delicious, and their snacks are high-quality and locally made (the vegan peanut butter cups are my personal favorite). The staff is respectful, efficient, and friendly. Drinks are made to order and it's always fun to watch the baristas work. They are unique due to their policy of not accepting tips--instead, according to their website, a generous wage for all staff is "priced in" to their coffee and other offerings. However, in my opinion their prices are not any higher (or at least not noticeably so) than similar cafes that still use a tip-based pay scale. It's a system that definitely wouldn't work for *every* company, but it's truly refreshing to visit a cafe that pays its staff well and completely eliminates the expectation of tipping. I hope Grey Squirrel sticks around, because a top-quality cafe with local products and happy, personable employees is the perfect fit for this spot!

First real coffee shop I’ve found. I always order a cappuccino and most places the foam is off. After being in Australia and their crazy coffee culture, this is the first place where the coffee matched the quality I had overseas. This might just be my go to place now, plus it’s not very expensive.

I'm from MN so this was my first time trying Gray Squirrel. Wish we had one at home. I got a iced coffee made with maple syrup and macadamia milk. It was creamy and smooth. Loved it!