Grab your cold brew and support these queer-owned coffee shops in the South

Owner Shelia Smith’s unassuming cafe, Southside Brew Bar, serves a plethora of wonderful beverages. In a charming, renovated former post office, you can enjoy locally brewed kombucha, herbal concoctions, coffee, and nitro cold brew.

Part hip coffeehouse and part trendy mixology bar, Lussi Brown lets you pick your poison; no one will be upset if you choose both. This watering hole is known for its creative beverages. Whether it’s a golden turmeric chai or a fancy old-fashioned, this queer, women-owned cafe is a breath of fresh air in a state that’s not necessarily known for being LGBTQ+-affirming.

Modal Coffee and Hostel is a curated concept space that combines a charming art gallery, a bespoke modern hostel, and an artisanal coffee shop. Hosting community events such as open mic nights, local artist showcases, and weekly LGBTQ+ gatherings throughout the year, this is a pivotal establishment for the LGBTQ+ community.

Java Boys is a kitschy gay-owned cafe in the heart of Ft Lauderdale’s LGBTQ+ strip mall where local queers meet throughout the day to fuel up, gab on the ample sidewalk seating, and slurp tasty fruit smoothies and cold brews.

Owned by two queer women, with two locations throughout Atlanta, Finca to Filter serves up third-wave coffee in inclusive eco-conscious, playful cafes. Each space curates different events, such as drag bingo or queer cinema nights. Can’t get enough? You’ll also find the quirky coffee shops as mobile cafes in renovated vintage trailers throughout Atlanta’s parks.

Paitka’s signature brown butter cinnamon latte may be how this small gay-owned cafe attracted its first loyal customers, but now the busy courtyard is filled during weekend brunch service and local rock and roll showcases, too.

It’s no secret that New Orleans cuisine is known for its dairy, seafood, and meat-rich dishes, which is why the vegan and vegetarian bagel bar Small Mart and the adjacent Pond Cafe are welcome changes to lactose-free and plant-based customers in NOLA’s eclectic Bywater neighborhood. Housed in a historic, colorful building, choose from vegetarian South Asian dishes, vegan bagels & shmear, and an array of refreshing iced coffee drinks to get you through the swampy weather.

This self-proclaimed indie feminist bookstore & coffee shop serves up more than a cup of caffeine with anarchist morals. Firestorm Books and Coffee is worker-owned, anti-capitalist, and includes a roster of events that will make you burn your bra.

Everlou Coffee is more than just a queer-owned and operated cafe in the heart of North Carolina’s Triangle. It’s also an incubator for small businesses in Durham, ranging from a flower shop to a local art market.