WNBA guard Kayla McBride and her sister, Karlee McBride-Webber, are trading fast breaks for flat whites as they prep a neighborhood coffee spot in downtown Concord. The duo plans to launch 1122 Coffee Company this fall in a compact, living-room-style space tailored to nearby residents and apartment dwellers. The shop’s name is a nod to the address where the sisters grew up, turning a family milestone into a storefront marquee.
Signed Lease at NOVI Flats
According to The Charlotte Observer, 1122 Coffee Company has signed a lease for a ground-level retail bay at NOVI Flats and is aiming to open the 643-square-foot café by September. “Our idea for 1122 Coffee Company is to create a one-of-its-kind destination where people can truly connect, relax, and build lasting friendships,” McBride-Webber said in a release, framing the shop as more community hangout than grab-and-go kiosk.
Where It Will Be
The café is slated for the ground floor of NOVI at Concord at 23 Market Street SW, putting it an easy stroll from the businesses clustered along Union Street. The NOVI website pitches the Flats as a boutique mixed-use development with on-site retail that helps anchor the city’s walkable downtown, a setup the owners said made the building an ideal home base for a neighborhood-first coffee bar.
Menu Teasers
The full drink menu is still under wraps, but teaser videos on the shop’s Instagram have shown off a vanilla chai latte and an iced blueberry matcha finished with blueberry cold foam. As reported by The Charlotte Observer, the sisters are still working through the final stages of the build-out and hiring before they start pouring those specialty drinks for customers.
From Court To Counter
Kayla McBride, a veteran guard for the Minnesota Lynx, brings WNBA star power and a ready-made fan base to the new venture, background detailed by WNBA.com. Her sister, Karlee McBride-Webber, played Division I basketball at Indiana and later worked in college athletics, according to VCU Athletics, giving the partnership a strong dose of competitive discipline alongside the family connection.
Downtown Coffee Scene
When it opens, 1122 will step into a downtown Concord coffee scene that already includes independent spots such as Press & Porter Coffee & Pour House, credited with helping turn Union Street into a local caffeine corridor. City planning documents highlight ongoing efforts to boost downtown growth and walkability, a backdrop the sisters cited as part of their decision to open a neighborhood-focused café, per Press & Porter and the City of Concord.
