Little Waves / Durham, North Carolina

Little Waves was founded by married couple Areli and Leon in 2010 and was originally named bikeCOFFEE as a bike cafe. They opened three cafes in the next seven years and named them Cocoa Cinnamon, while naming their roastery Little Waves. Little Waves is a Latina-women-led roastery that focuses on sourcing women-grown coffee and other crazy, funky and fun coffee! Their relationships with producers are their highest priority. The name "Little Waves" came from a text Leon sent to Areli describing their love as "little waves rushing up on the shore," reflecting their shared love for coffee.