Waterbean Coffee Exquisite | Gastonia

Description: A flagship "Exquisite" location from Waterbean Coffee, a local chain with 20 locations across the Charlotte region. The "Exquisite" concept is Waterbean's premium format, distinguished from their standard shops by the addition of a cocktail bar, live piano, Vietnam-inspired interior design, and an expanded food menu. The centerpiece is a wrap-around bar with espresso preparation on one side and cocktails on the other, all inside a 4,000+ square foot space in Gastonia's Fuse District.

The menu goes well beyond typical coffee shop fare, covering USDA-certified organic pour-over, siphon, Vietnamese coffee, espresso tasting flights, cocktails, loose leaf tea, and food items like the Dubai Chocolate Croissant and Ribeye Melt. Open daily until 9 PM, it serves as a comfortable spot for remote work, studying, or socializing.

Comments: So, when I first moved to Charlotte, I had a few natives make comments to me about Gastonia that painted it like the elephant graveyard from The Lion King, a whole "you must never go there" sort of vibe. I'm happy to report that couldn't be further from the truth. Gastonia is fine, it has its own hidden gems, and this spot is certainly one of them. Shout out to Ty C. for putting me on to it!

This is Waterbean's first "Exquisite" location, which is basically their step-up concept. The difference from a regular Waterbean is that you get cocktails, live piano, and a design that pulls from their Vietnam location. And it does feel exquisite. It's a noticeably different vibe from walking into one of their standard shops.

To start, it's huge. Just the main area alone could seat well over 40 people but then there's a side room sort of spot that can fit about 20 more. Finding seating should never be a problem coming here, same with parking, plenty of space. They have all the menu items you've come to expect from a modern coffee shop, but also food (the Waterbean Special sandwich is great), and really good loose leaf herbal teas. The Candied Orange Green tea is great.

In terms of the aesthetic, it's polished. White faux marble tables, really comfortable black plush chairs, and a lot of accent lights all around to keep the place bright and energetic. It's an excellent spot to work remotely, great outlet access, just bring some noise cancelling headphones as they do play background music. If you really want to focus, go into the side room they have across from the checkout counter. It's open to all unless otherwise stated, sometimes it's booked for an event.