South End is getting a new caffeine-and-cheesecake hangout this summer, as Finders Coffee readies a compact cafe at 1617 S Tryon Street. The team is eyeing a soft opening in mid-July and a grand opening in mid-August, with a tight menu built around classic espresso, matcha and a Basque-style cheesecake made from just four ingredients: cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs and sugar. The shop plans both indoor and outdoor seating and expects to cater to morning-through-midafternoon crowds.
Owner Haegon Kim told WhatNow that the concept leans on "more basics" and that the projected opening dates could still shift as the team wraps up final work. According to WhatNow, more details will roll out closer to launch.
Small Menu, Clean Ingredients
Finders' website leans hard into its four-ingredient, flourless cheesecakes, listing flavors such as Original, Strawberry, Chocolate and Matcha. It also highlights a focus on a classic espresso blend and matcha sourced from Ureshino, Japan, pairing straightforward drinks with the dessert lineup, per Finders' Coffee.
Why South End
South End has become prime territory for compact, specialty cafes that cater to nearby residents and daytime workers, and Finders' morning-leaning hours look tailored to that flow. The brand's travel-inspired, back-to-basics style lines up with a broader local appetite for focused menus instead of do-everything-all-day concepts.
Timeline, Location And Hours
The company is targeting a soft opening in mid-July, with a grand opening planned for mid-August, though both dates might move, WhatNow reports. Finders' own site lists the South End address as 1617 S Tryon St and shows hours as Sun-Sat 7-5, alongside a note that the location is "Opening in Summer 2026," per Finders' Coffee.
Finders Coffee will join a steady flow of small cafés arriving in South End this year, adding another option for Charlotteans chasing high-quality espresso and simple, well-made pastries. We will update with confirmed opening dates and any menu changes as they are announced.
