Open Eye Cafe Raises $500 for NC Black Alliance with Community Help!
Thanks to your participation in our retail bag fundraiser, we were able to raise $500 for
North Carolina Black Alliance
With this donation NCBA will be able to continue working toward state-level systemic change by strengthening the network of elected officials representing communities of color throughout the state.
Thank you for your generous support and stay tuned for our next fundraiser!
Open Eye Cafe Supports Black Lives Matter
Open Eye Cafe, as a business that is fully interconnected in our communities, is committed to doing our part to dismantle systemic racism and address the power dynamics that are unfair to Black people and all disenfranchised communities.
While words can be a supportive first step, they can also be a hollow gesture, especially on social media, if there is no follow through. So we have taken the time first to listen. We are currently working with our staff to solidify thoughts, and potential actions so that we can create a strategic plan for change, that we can implement going forward long term.
These steps will include continued support and implementation of our company-wide diversity and inclusion training, with speakers that can be a platform to amplify the voices of Black professionals in order to have overdue conversations that will be instrumental in moving us forward as a company, an industry, & ultimately as a people united.
Also included in these first steps as we continue to build our donation platform for the future, we will be diversifying our donor list to both raise awareness for these organizations, as well as supporting financially to make actionable results possible.
To start, proceeds from all retail coffee bags from Monday, June 22 through Sunday July 5th, will be donated to the NC Community Bail Fund of Durham on behalf of all Cafe employees, who determined this to be a good local place to start supporting.
NC Community Bail Funds is an organization that lobbies for bail reform and supports individuals through the criminal justice system returning clients to their homes, jobs, and communities, in turn giving them a more equitable case procedure.
Find out more about the important work they are doing here: https://www.nccbailfund.org/
#CarolinaChamber #NCCommunityBailFund #BlackLivesMatter #DirectRelationshipCoffee #CarboroCoffee
Reintroducing the Cold Brew Ice Cream Float!
Its time to bring back our cold brew ice cream float!
Made with Carrboro Coffee Roasters‘ Ethiopia Ardi cold brew and creamy vanilla ice cream, then topped with NITROBrew for that sparkling mouthfeel – it is a delightful & refreshing warm weather treat!
Order in-person, online or on our Toast Takeout App.
Pastries Are Back!
We’re excited to announce the return of pastries! We’ll be offering some of your favorite & most requested treats from Ninth Street Bakery including butter & chocolate croissants, scones, danishes, and muffins. Deliveries will arrive fresh every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning (no pre-ordering necessary). If the response is positive, we will continue expanding our offerings into other days of the week. ????☕️???? Order in-person (face coverings required to come inside), or online HERE for take-out or curbside delivery!
Operation Updates for Open Eye Cafe – 6/20
There are many complicated aspects to NC Phase 2 reopening, that started May 22nd; but certainly our biggest concern is the health & safety of our team and our customers.
So in consideration of the health & well being of staff & customers, we are not currently planning to re-open our indoor seating or back patio, but we will continue to monitor on a daily basis for the appropriate timeline of a gradual re-opening.
Current Status:
-
We will continue to provide ordering at the counter for takeout. Please be mindful of keeping distance between other guests as well as employees and wait for staff to call you toward the counter.
-
We are continuing our Online ordering for takeout or ‘curbside‘ delivery to cars, bikes or whatever! This is a great option for anyone who forgot their mask and is not able to enter the building – find the link on our website openeyecafe.wpengine.com & look for the new designated parking signs.
-
We humbly request that customers follow the health & safety guidelines to protect all who are in & entering the property; and please stay home & rest if you are feeling ill, then come back & see us when you’re feeling better!
-
We are happy to offer a space to socially distance–hang outside with your neighbor on our front patio. You can stand around the tables and give your drinks a rest, however there will be no chairs just yet. You are welcome to sit on our bench or picnic table out front, but only one person/household at a time on the bench, and no more than 2 people on the picnic table if sitting on opposite ends, unless you’re from the same household/group.
Our safety strategies:
-
We are currently able to successfully offer thoughtfully prepared beverages & more, while also maintaining a strict sanitizing schedule. We are confident in our proactive sanitizing systems we have established for your safety, and the safety of our team.
-
Our staff is being certified on new health department guidelines (Count On Me NC), as well as being screened for symptoms before every shift and wearing masks at all times.
-
Appropriate face coverings are mandatory for anyone who chooses to enter the building or order inside.
-
We will maintain a 10 person maximum capacity inside, and ask that customers adhere to the required social distancing of 6 foot minimum when inside or outside, waiting for your drinks.
We’ll keep everyone updated on social media, email and websites of any changes as we move forward.
Please remember that this is a difficult time for our staff, and most employees in the service industry. We ask that you be kind to our staff & patient with all retail workers, as we all start to figure out the best way to re-open. This may look different for each business, so please try to be respectful of each individual approach, and the guidelines they’re putting in their spaces for how they operate right now.
Thank you so much for all of your continued support. We wouldn’t be here without you, and are so thankful for your understanding and patience as we navigate these strange times.
with love,
Open Eye Cafe
Sunday Bagels & Coffee!
Our Sundays have just gotten better with Deli Edison bagels and Carrboro Coffee Roasters’ coffee – a perfect combination! Place your orders by Wednesday at 4pm for the following Sunday. Order by the 1/2 dozen – options include plain, sesame, and everything with plain, herb-garlic, or bacon-scallion cream cheese! Taking pre-orders HERE!
Now taking Bagel Pre-Orders for Sunday, May 24th!
Requests for bagels has been positive, so we are continuing to work with our bagel partner, Deli Edison, and the next bagel pre-order, by the half dozen for pickup from the cafe, is for Sunday, May 24th! Please place your pre-orders online HERE by this Wednesday, May 20th at 4pm.
We’ll have your bagels and cream cheese ready for pickup on Sunday anytime after Noon. Thanks so much for your support in this program and all the other orders we are getting!. Looking forward to keep on sharing delicious bagels with you!
Open Eye Cafe Adds Online Ordering to their Curb-Side Pickup & Take-Away Program
We are now taking online orders to make it easier for you to grab your drinks, or whole bean coffee, easily & safely, without having to checkout inside, and keeping spatial distance.
Check out our current offerings below to review the menu, OR just click on this LINK to scroll through the menu and place your order, prepay, and then get all the goodness with an easy pickup, or we can walk it out to the front and you never have to leave your car!
Remember you can also get your coffee, gift cards and brewing equipment delivered right to your door too, and practice the ultimate in social distancing through this website – http://www.shopcarrborocoffee.com
How to Help Farmers, Our Employees, and Our Business
As a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, Open Eye Cafe has seen reduced hours with carry-out and curbside delivery only. Our sister cafe, Caffe Driade has temporarily suspended service, & one third of our staff have been furloughed and 100% of our staff have had significant decreases in hours and pay.
We have set up a Virtual Tip Jar to help supplement the tipped income lost by our dedicated and hard-working team. All of the money raised will be divided up among our staff and go directly to them, to help support in this time of financial uncertainty.
This time of social distancing has reminded us more than ever how special our community is, and we are looking forward to the day when we can open up the doors for everyone’s enjoyment once again.
Basically, we miss you!
Thank you so much for any support you can offer.
There are a few more meaningful ways you can help us, our employees, and our farmer partners around the world:
-
We are open Monday – Friday from 7am – 7pm and Saturday – Sunday from 8am – 7pm offering carry-out (keeping appropriate social distance and touch-free checkout), and curbside delivery by calling 919-968-9410. See current offerings in menu below:
-
Visit Carrboro Coffee Roasters’ online shop & order coffee, brewing equipment, gift cards, and more. They ship anywhere in the U.S. and you can get it right to your door without ever leaving your home. Don’t need coffee yet? Send some to friends and family who do. You can also subscribe to monthly coffee deliveries or give a subscription as a gift. SHOPCARRBOROCOFFEE.COM
-
Online gift cards will support Open Eye Cafe & Caffe Driade, and the employees who work so hard every day, 364 days a year to brighten your day with amazing beverages.
-
If, like us, you are worried about the economic survival of all the local restaurants and retail shops that make our community a better place, please keep spreading the word on our efforts & all the ways people can continue to support without leaving home.
-
Maybe you, or someone you know, can take a moment to post our efforts, write an article, or interview us to help spread the word.
