If it weren’t for Seattle, Music City could easily be renamed Coffee City thanks to the abundance of great, locally-owned coffee shops. While all of these shops provide caffeinated sustenance, not all of them are suitable for working. As Xennials, we’ve got lots to do, and post-pandemic, many of us are working outside of the office more than ever before. (Best Nashville Coffee Shops for Remote Work)

So, here is a list of some of the best coffee shops in Nashville to get things done. To even qualify for this list, a shop must be open until at least 5 pm (aka, the end of the work day). Other factors considered include noise level and availability of outlets, but I left the actual coffee tasting to your discerning palettes.

12 South/Edgehill

Land of A Thousand Hills

The Edgehill location stays open until 9 all week (6 on Sundays) and the back half transforms into a social space at 6 pm.

Downtown

Crema

For those who want the East Nashville experience without crossing the river, Crema might be the place for you. Hipster baristas and customers set the vibe at this trendy store, and the bright natural light and ample seating (including a large patio, if you’ve got a full battery charge) make it a great place for working.

Parking downtown can be tricky, but Crema has a metered lot with free 1.5 hour parking.

(While the Brentwood location is big and also open to 6, it gets so loud and crowded, working there can be a challenge.

East Nash

Living Waters Brewing

One of the most unique options on this list, you can grab a coffee or a beer (I promise I won’t tell!) while you knock out some work. So many options for seating, living room-esque decor, and they’re open until 10 for those night owls who still need to be productive.

It can get quite noisy, so keep that in mind.

Sip Cafe

Located in the Inglewood district of East Nashville, Sip Cafe is an unpretentious shop, both inside and out (although it is in an old bank, complete with teller stations). While there are plenty of outlets, they’re placed a little inconveniently, so keep that in mind. Because it’s also an ice cream shop, Sip is open until 9 which earns it major points, as does the fact that each drink is about a dollar cheaper than at any other shop in Nashville.

Ugly Mugs

Comfy, cozy, and full of people working, Ugly Mugs is an oasis off of bustling Eastland Ave. With all of the East Nash vibes and a full sandwich menu to go along with their inventive drinks, Ugly Mugs is a great place to grab a cup and stay a while.

The Nations/Sylvan Park

The Nations has quickly become one of my favorite areas of town, thanks to the multitude of great food and brewery options and the lack of tourist traffic. And, Sylvan Park has all the old Nashville charm you could ever want. The area also delivers on coffee shops, with three making the “best of” list (and one an honorable mention)!

8th and Roast

The Nations/Sylvan Park installation of this popular Wedgewood coffee shop is bright, big, and full of people of all ages working away. The noise level is usually minimal because most everyone is on their laptop, although they do offer a couple couches and comfy chairs for those needing to meet a client or colleague or to just catch up on some reading.

Dose

Dose is the perfect set-up for working – lots of individual seating with plenty of outlets. And, they offer delicious sandwiches (as well as the usual pastries, etc.), if you need to refuel with food.

In the mornings it can be quite busy and outlet placement isn’t ideal.

Ramblin’ Joes

Ramblin’ Joes is a Memphis-based coffee shop that closes at 4, not technically qualifying for this list. However, they offer FREE PRINTING – up to 10 pages – making them a great working option.

Living Waters Brewing

The more well-lit version of the East Nashville shop, this is a great place to lock in, and refuel with Badluck Burger Club.

South Nashville

The Horn

The Horn is a Somalian café known for their chai and sambusas (phenomenal!). With an outlet at every table, it’s perfect for settling in to crank things out.

The Horn also has a Midtown location, but those hours are more limited.

Primitive 

Open Wed-Sun until 8:30. (Closed Sundays, and open until 5 on Monday/Tuesday.)

Red Bicycle Woodbine

While this popular shop can fill up quickly, and the back-supported seating is limited, they’re open until 7 during the week (!!) and have a great food menu to keep you going.

A little extra: The address is on Nolensville Pike, but there’s no entrance to the parking lot off the main road (just a curb that’s really easy to miss…) Instead, turn onto the cross street, Vivelle Ave., and enter the lot from there.

Wedgewood-Houston

Americano Lounge

Travel back in time to the Jazz Age with this beautiful coffee shop/bar combination. With both well-lit tables and moody seating that fits the ambiance of Houston Station, Americano Lounge is a great place to knock out some work and transition straight into happy hour.

Humphrey’s Street Coffee Co.

Located in a converted old church, Humphrey’s Street Coffee is a bright, airy shop with tons of seating both indoors and outdoors (including a couple of old church pews), and there are plenty of outlets scattered around.

Best of all, Humphrey’s Street is a social enterprise of Harvest Hands, both employing students from South Nashville, as well as reinvesting profits into programs and scholarships. You can find out more about their work at the Humphrey’s Street website, and click over to find a full list of Nashville cause-based businesses here.

The Burbs

Are Bellevue, West Nashville, and Donelson the ‘burbs? Debatable. But, either way, these coffee shops make the drive worth it.

Caliber Coffee

Hip Donelson is slowly starting to live up to it’s name, and Caliber Coffee has a lot to do with that. With inventive drinks and a friendly staff, Caliber is a fun stop for any reason.

Because it is so popular and a smaller space, it can sometimes be crowded which amplifies the noise. If you can handle a little distraction, though (or have good ear buds), they’re open until 8 pm (!!), so you can really knock some things out. And don’t skip the food – Caliber has one of the best (and most affordable) salads in town.

Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee

Although Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee is a small chain, it feels like anything but. Attached to the Cortland West residential complex, Land of a Thousand Hills occupies a beautiful building that gives off major ski-lodge vibes.

Cafe Sperry’s

Tons of parking, tons of seating, and good outlet placements. The back room is super cozy, too, with a library feel and fireplace.

The Well – Bellevue

Another caused-based coffee house, the Well supports clean water initiatives throughout the world – including right here at home after the 2020 tornado. The Bellevue installation is spacious and industrial and less crowded and noisy than its other locations.

Do you frequent any of these coffee shops? Did I miss one of your favorites? Leave me a note and let’s swap tips!

XO,
SB

If you’re looking for some other coffee shops open later, or just a cozy place to chill out, check out my other coffee guides!

The post Best Nashville Coffee Shops for Remote Work first appeared on The Tip Jar.

As much as I love a good bargain (and I do!), as I’ve gotten older, I value putting my money where it can do additional good – even if that may cost slightly more. I suspect that many Xennials feel this way (after all, Millenials are the TOMS generation!)

So, if you’d like to put your money to good use AND come away with something for yourself (really, what better bargain is there?), here are a few places around town where you can do just that.

Coffee

Crest Coffee

Although Crest Coffee is next door to a church, it is it’s own unique entity, serving Nashville by partnering with a different community organization each month. Not only does Crest Coffee give back, but their coffee is also completely donation-based, allowing everyone in the community to have the benefit of a good cup o’ joe.

Humphreys Street Coffee

Humphreys Street Coffee in Wedgewood-Houston is a social enterprise of Harvest Hands CDC and employs area youth, giving them not only jobs, but also mentoring opportunities, trainings, and skills that go beyond the workplace. 100% of their profits are reinvested into programs and scholarships that support students. “Our expectation is that the students we employ will transform and impact their own neighborhood in positive ways.”

They also happen to be one of my favorite spots for remote work, and the space itself is a beautiful, light-filled converted former church.

Land of a Thousand Hills

Land of a Thousand Hills coffee in West Nashville has a more global focus. Their Do Good Initiative not only sustainably sources coffee from Rwandan farmers, but also provides health care, schools, and other programs for those farming communities.

The Well

Another favorite spot of mine, the Well uses their profits to help fund clean water projects in the countries from which they source their coffee. But, they don’t forget about their local community either, having partnered with several initiatives to provide clean water and services to those impacted by the 2020 tornado. And, with several locations around Nashville, you’re never too far away to do a little good.

Food/Drink

Christie Cookie Co.

A Nashville original, Christie Cookies are delicious AND they give back, locally and nationally! Check out their “For a Cause” page to see all the special edition cookies you can order to support various organizations.

A little extra: Did you know Christie Cookie Co. is the creator of the DoubleTree cookie?? If you’ve ever stayed at a DoubleTree, you know that is one of the best cookies on the planet!

The Cookery

From their website, “the Cookery is a nonprofit restaurant, cafe, caterer, and event space that trains formerly homeless men in the Culinary Arts to prepare them for employment in Nashville’s food industry.” They are open most days for breakfast and lunch and have a convenient location just beyond the busy district of 12South.

Etch

You know the roasted cauliflower at Etch is delicious. But did you also know that $1 from each order goes towards Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee? A few years ago, it was reported that Etch donated $17,000 dollars from their cauliflower proceeds! You can find Etch in SoBro – and on my guide to happy hours after 5!

Tennessee Brew Works

Every Sunday, Tennessee Brew Works donates $1 from every pint to a local charity or non-profit. Their chosen partner changes quarterly, so follow their Instagram for the latest partner. Sunday Funday and Sunday Give-Back-Day? I’m in.

The Café at Thistle Farms

For over 25 years, “Thistle Farms has lit a pathway of healing and hope for women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction.” The Cafe is one way to support this beautiful mission, as it provides employment for those Thistle Farms serves, as well as an entrepreneurial stream for the organization’s mission (including safe housing, therapy, legal services, and more).

The food is delicious, the service friendly, the space lovely and inviting. It’s a special place.

Shops

ABLE

As beautiful as any boutique in Nashville, Able’s mission is to empower women by providing living wages, ensuring on-the-job safety, and working for equality. They partner with vendors who share that mission and are seeking to bring about change in the fashion industry – at home, and around the world.

Ten Thousand Villages

Although not unique to Nashville, Ten Thousand Villages is one of the leaders in fair-trade merchandising, offering unique gifts from around the world. Their mission is to ensure makers earn a fair, living wage in safe working conditions, to invest in partnerships that empower women and communities, to celebrate diverse cultures, all while caring for the earth.

Project 615

Project 615 t-shirts and hats have become nearly ubiquitous with Nashville, and it’s easy to see why! With soft fabric, high quality printing, and catchy slogans (my personal favorite is “I climbed Mt. Juliet”), what’s not to love? Plus, since they started in 2010, Project 615 has donated nearly $1,000,000 to world-changing causes and local non-profits. They live our their most well-known t-shirt every day and “Spread Love. It’s the Nashville Way.”

Thistle Farms

You can read about the mission above, but the shop is just as worth a visit as the café! Gorgeous hand made accessories, deliciously scented soaps and candles, and a full line of natural bath products, Thistle Farms is the best place to treat yourself or find some gifts – while also supporting their incredible programs.

Other

The Listening Room

At least monthly, The Listening Room hosts Sound Good, Do Good – donating the cover charges from the events to non-profits or people in need. Check their calendar or socials for the next opportunity to give back while hearing some of the best music in town!

The Russell and the Gallatin Hotel

The Russell and its sister hotel, the Gallatin, both offer unique, boutique stays in East Nashville. The Russell is in a beautiful, reclaimed church with gorgeous stained glass windows. The Gallatin is also a reclaimed church, but it has a more eclectic feel with a different color scheme per floor (that carries down to the room refrigerators!). But, even better, much of their proceeds support local homeless ministries, with the Russell’s website estimating that the average stay provides 16 beds and meals at local shelters. So, whether you are on a staycation or have friends coming to visit, be sure to put the Russell and the Gallatin at the top of the list of places to stay!

Nashville is such a giving community, I feel almost certain that I missed something on this list. Did I? Please send me an email or drop us a tip below if so! And leave a comment to let us know your favorite way to shop and give back!

XO,
SB

The post Guide to Cause-Based Businesses first appeared on The Tip Jar.