Coffee: Our Favorite Sips In and Around Traverse City

It’s no secret…we kinda love our coffee.

Morning coffee + a sweet treat on the upper deck at The Holiday House.

Whether you’re working remotely (while on vacation?—tsk, tsk!), meeting friends for brunch or grabbing a pick-me-up for your travels throughout the region, we’ve put together a list of coffee-centric spots in Northern Michigan we think you shouldn’t miss.

Traverse City

The Daily Grind, the cutest little drive-thru, located behind our Boardman neighborhood properties.

The Daily Grind
736 E Eighth St, Traverse City, MI 49686
A small but mighty drive-thru, this shop offers espresso drinks, sourdough breakfast sandwiches, plant-powered Lotus drinks, fresh fruit and other bites. The best part? This caffeination station is located directly behind our Boardman neighborhood properties.

Outpost TC
108 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49684
A European-inspired café, presenting coffee, pastries, sandwiches, wine and treats Thursday-Monday 8am-2pm, with plans to expand the hours and menu soon.

Hexenbelle
144 Hall St Suite 107, Traverse City, MI, 49684
This community-minded coffee shop in the Warehouse District serves Arabic comfort food for breakfast and lunch, plus a well-thought selection of vegan and gluten-free baked goods. Stop in for breakfast and a coffee, or enjoy a lunchtime adult beverage in the sunny, well-designed space.

Coffee + pastries from 9 Bean Rows at NoBo Mrkt: Paradise found.

NoBo Mrkt
414 E. 8th St, Traverse City, MI 49686
NoBo Mrkt is a collaborative cafe and beverage bar offering specialty coffee and tea, local beer and wine, creative handcrafted cocktails and free-spirited beverages, and carefully curated local food items. Their incubator kitchen and mentoring program (Hatch) supports marginalized and minority communities, lowering barriers for those working towards a healthier, more connected community.

Water Bearer Coffee
144 Hall St Suite 100, Traverse City, MI 49684
This art-forward space centers around good food and a welcoming community in the Warehouse Mrkt. A local menu is front and center, with espresso drinks, fresh-made juices, smoothies and small plates. The stunning full-wall mural is by local artist Heather Spooner.

Mundos
1238 S Garfield Ave, Traverse City, MI 49686 (HQ)
305 W Front St., Traverse City, MI 49684 (305—downtown)
720 W Front St., Traverse City, MI 49684 (West)
With fabulous coffee and tasty pastries, Mundos is our favorite coffee shop in town—and it’s right around the corner, wherever you happen to be. Stop in for a quick morning cuppa or spend an hour reading in one of their three gorgeous spaces.

Carrie and Jess making exciting plans for Roost North, liquid inspiration courtesy of Mundos HQ.

Higher Grounds
806 Red Dr, Traverse City, MI 49684
The original Traverse City coffee roaster. With a commitment to direct-trade coffee, they work with farms to ensure that their beans are ethically sourced around the world. Their coffee shop in The Commons is the ideal basecamp to start before a full day of hiking the trails or touring the labyrinth of shops.

Cuppa Joe’s
1200 W Eleventh St # 101, Traverse City, MI 49684 (at the GT Commons)
1990 US-31 Suite F, Traverse City, MI 49686 (eastside)
1060 East Front St, Traverse City, MI (drive-thru)
This locally-owned, classic coffee shop has been a fixture since 1999, and with three locations around TC, you can settle in with a book or catch up with a friend. In addition to coffee, they have an extensive selection of tea, smoothies, baked goods and more.

With a vintage cafeteria counter and pale pink walls, the retro vibes at Cuppa Joe at Grand Traverse Commons are comfortable and easy.

Leelanau County

Hive Coffee Co.
206 N St Joseph St B, Suttons Bay, MI 49682
The home of the former Mundos North, Hive Coffee Co. was created through a collection of dreams and desires to do good. Their menu rotates seasonally; honeycomb-shaped waffles with flavors like Blueberry Cinnamon, overnight oats with fresh fruit and clever coffees with a twist—lately, we can’t get enough of the Strawberry Matcha on ice.

New Bohemian Cafe
110 S Waukazoo St, Northport, MI 49670
This cozy shop in downtown Northport serves up coffee and sandwiches seven days a week, year-round. Their food is just right for a picnic down at the marina, or dining in at the cafe. (Pair the ham and Swiss croissant sandwich with a honey cardamom latte!)

Madcap Coffee Company
106 N Main St, Leland, MI 49654
Madcap Coffee’s northern Michigan location in downtown Leland is tucked between a number of adorable shops, making it just the spot to take a shopping break.  

The Mill Glen Arbor, a recently renovated grist mill on the Crystal River in Glen Arbor. Photo courtesy of Andy Wakeman for MyNorth.com.

The Mill Glen Arbor
5440 W. Harbor Hwy, Glen Arbor, MI 49636
Recently renovated, this stunning historical mill was given a new life as a bespoke cafe, dining room and inn. Milling its own flour onsite, tucking in with pastries and espresso drinks here will transport you to another era.

Cedar River Coffee Company
9104 S Kasson St, Cedar, MI 49621
This sweet coffee shop in Cedar brews up tasty coffee and serves light breakfast and lunch items, as well as yummy desserts and pastries. 

Pedaling Beans Coffeehouse
116 E Philip St, Lake Leelanau, MI 49653
Stop in this Lake Leelanau coffeeshop for great coffee as you tour the peninsula. Located near a number of wineries and distilleries, it’s the ideal spot for a midday jolt. 

So many of these cafes—including Higher Grounds, pictured here—have outdoor seating for three-season sipping.

Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate Shop
11590 S Lacore St, Empire, MI 49630
This family-owned business on M-22 in Empire is THE place to stop for craft chocolate and tasty gifts. All of their goods are ethically and mindfully sourced, and they use local ingredients in their treats as often as possible, including flowers and herbs grown in their cafe garden. Their full espresso bar and a newly-opened gelato shop are not to be missed for anyone with the slightest sweet tooth.

Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co.
6443 W Western Ave, Glen Arbor, MI 49636
Roasting Up North since 1993, this independent coffee roaster and cafe in Glen Arbor features a full espresso menu, over 60 varieties of whole bean and ground coffee and serves a host of pastry and food options. 

Red Door Coffeehouse
19631 Maple St, Lake Ann, MI 49650
This little coffeehouse is open year-round, and they sell pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and more. Make this your first stop before heading out for a hike, bike or day-trip into Leelanau County. 

A sun-soaked spot to start your day at the NoBo Mrkt.

And of course, we make sure that the coffee cupboard is well stocked at each of our stays, so that no matter where you’re planning to adventure, you’ve got enough fuel to get you out the door.

Photos courtesy of Courtney Kent Photography.