Coffee Talk

With two locations within walking distance of campus, Social Coffee & Supply Co. brings Seahawks together.

By Sarah Fetters

“Our favorite thing about coffee is the way it can bring people together. We wanted to make a place where people belong.”

Owners Rachel ’14 and Giovanni Ellzey ’15 have a passion for gathering people. With their business, Social Coffee, they hope to make a difference one cup of coffee at a time.

The two opened their first café on Wrightsville Avenue in a former residential home in February 2019. When it came time to open a second location, another residential home became available and the welcoming, community feel continued when the café on Oriole Drive opened in April 2022.

The couple enjoys serving and employing many UNCW students while remaining connected to the university.

“We wanted to be close to campus because we loved being in coffee shops as students,” Rachel said. “We wanted to serve that same community.”

The cafe location happened to be a home, and that became part of their branding and atmosphere. “This is who we are,” Rachel added. “We want people to feel like they're at home when they're hanging out with us.”

socialcoffeesupply.com