What may come as a shock to those outside of the distinct world of Alabama restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, has come as welcome news to locals. Four Alabama coffee shops were just named among The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.

Our state is home to an impressive assortment of stunning spaces serving up incredible cups. From small, mom-and-pop shops to the ultra-urban spaces found around the state, you are never far from the perfect pour.

Read more about the four featured Alabama coffee shops from their perspective.

 

Seeds Coffee Company | Birmingham

“It was important from day one of creating a business that we answered the question, does our business meet the needs of the community around it? Is not that the basic idea of why business was created? Why were clothing stores and grocery markets established? They were built because people needed food and clothing. Our business had to serve a similar purpose.

“While it is true that coffee is not essential to life and it is not a basic necessity, the way coffee provides community and a purpose and place to belong makes this product meaningful in so many ways. Creating a coffee shop and roastery laid the foundation for relationships, connections, and a place to belong. It is like the phrase that the TV show Cheers coined a place ‘where everybody knows your name.’

“Inside us, all is this internal instinct to be known and to be welcomed. That concept was one of the driving forces in making the decision to start a coffee company and retail location. The idea of coffee shop was built out of the need of a community wanting a place to come and find commonality with people while enjoying an amazing beverage.”

 

Prevail Coffee | Montgomery, Birmingham

“‘It was 2012. Megan was seven months pregnant. A dear friend or ours, a refugee from West Africa was living in our basement. That’s when we decided that I would quit my job and become a barista.’ recounts Prevail Coffee co-founder, Wade Preston. Up until that time, Megan and Wade had each worked in the non-profit sphere and felt a desire to create a space which cultivates authentic and diverse community while also improving the lives of their friends in the developing world. Coffee was a natural fit. They couldn’t deny their vision in any longer. In 2013, after Wade spent two years honing his skills in the Atlanta coffee scene, the pair launched what their first cafe in downtown Auburn, AL. The response was overwhelming and led to an expansion into wholesale coffee roasting. Through Prevail Coffee Roasters, Megan and Wade have partnered with an amazing team of baristas, as well as their friends incredible coffee producing friends around the globe to craft carefully roasted coffees produced with patient respect for land and labor.”

 

Domestique | Birmingham

“Domestique is a coffee, hospitality, and lifestyle company that provides coffee based cultural experiences. We are a socially responsible coffee importer, and expert roaster, that is dedicated to sourcing sustainably-grown coffees and ensuring a fair-wage supply chain from production to distribution.

We are a humanist company that praises what we perceive with our born senses, and values what roots us to our past. We work towards preserving the beauty of our home, the Earth, through an ethical and thoughtful business model.

We are founded on the idea of ‘easy access to high quality coffee’. This means we want simple and healthy coffees to be available for our customers, at home, on the go, and in the restaurants you visit.”

Turbo Coffee | Florence, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville

“We are a coffee shop that started in Alabama with our flagship store in Florence. We also have stores in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and our newest location in Seagrove, Florida on 30A. But it’s not all about coffee. We care about the health of our bodies and living healthy lives, so we serve fresh acai bowls, and superfood smoothies. We also make delicious pastries!”

 

Which Alabama coffee shop will you try first?