To say Confluence is a coffee shop is true, but not entirely accurate. Yes, its menu is stocked with coffee shop standards: lattes, espressos, teas, and pastries (all of which are delicious). But the simple “coffee shop” label doesn’t seem to be quite encompassing enough.

“We’re really striving to be a cultural hub in the area,” says manager Brian Leimone. “Our tagline is ‘Where coffee and life collide,’ and that’s the kind of environment we’re trying to create.”

So what exactly do you get when you blend coffee and life? For starters, you get free live music most weekend nights. You get an indoor playground for kids, a free-to-use conference room, and a business center with Wi-Fi internet access. Above all this, though, you get a staff with a deep commitment to the community.

“We’re a nonprofit coffee shop,” Leimone explains. “Whatever profits we make are going to be given back to the community. That’s really what it’s all about — blessing the community.”
Confluence opened its doors in July 2008. Its original purpose was to serve as a meeting point for The River Church, a Christian-based group that began assembling last January. “We found our building, and then thought, ‘We can really do something special with this place,’ ” Leimone recalls. So, after a three-month renovation, Confluence was born. The name is fitting on many levels, as it means a meeting place for streams or rivers.

While The River Church continues to hold weekly services in the venue’s Underground area — a cavernous, yet inviting concert hall below the coffee shop — Confluence is certainly not restricted to church members.

“We’re open to anyone from all walks of life,” Leimone says. “We want to become so ingrained in the community that we’re part of everything people do.

“I think our only goal is to establish something that would truly be missed if it weren’t here anymore.”

Considering the abundance of warmth and goodwill Confluence has brought to the area, it’s safe to say that goal has already been met.

Confluence is at 12394 N. NC Highway 150. For more information, call 336-233-3250 or go to http://www.confluencecoffee.com.