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ead to the NC Arts Incubator in downtown Siler City to find a cafe serving up both coffee and community. The Chatham Rabbit opened its doors inside the nonprofit on Oct. 1, 2018. Owner Brooke Simmons has been in the space for 11 years; she managed other businesses in the building and recognized a need for a gathering place in the incubator. “I wanted to create a space where people can come together and realize that they’re all the same,” she says. The specialty coffee shop serves dairy products from Homeland Creamery, coffee from Joe Van Gogh and baked goods from The Bread Shop. With a full-service espresso bar, your coffee wish is their command. Lattes are their most popular drink, and the creme brulee, lavender honey and vanilla brown sugar flavors are particularly adored. In the winter, the “Snowflake” – a peppermint vanilla latte with maple and cinnamon – is sure to help you cozy up. The cafe’s nitro cold brew, frappuccinos and mochas are also customer favorites, but a basic cortado – espresso combined with warm, steamed milk – is
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$ SAVOR COFFEE, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY AT THESE READERS' FAVORITE CAFES BY LEAH BERRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON