For Stephen and Jessica McNulty, it started with a passion for Downtown Cary and a desire for something “good to sip on” that wouldn’t slow them down on early mornings with three young kids.
Now two years of planning led to last Friday’s opening of The Refreshery in the new Meridian East Chatham building.
“We’re longing for a third space,” Stephen said, with something that isn’t (just) coffee, and something other than alcohol.
With a large community table, bar seating, its proximity to Downtown Cary Park and next-door neighbor, the new Mega fitness studio, The Refreshery adds a new gathering space, and healthier drink and food options, to the town’s center.
The Refreshery Beverages
Glass-bottled, cold-press juices are available in a fridge with names like Green Jolly (think healthy green Jolly Rancher flavor for entry-level juicers), blue Shark Juice, made with pineapple, apple, lemon, lime, and blue spirulina, kid friendly; and Snap, an apple, lemon, and ginger concoction that’s tasty on its own or for mixing, Stephen said.
The Refreshery plans to reuse the glass bottles, and when you bring back 12 glass bottles with your punch card, you can pick a free juice.
Cold-brew coffee is poured to order with Night Swim Coffee out of Charlotte or other local roasters. Recommended flavor additions like Raspberry Chocolate or Salted Caramel are listed, and each cold brew can be customized with different milk options: dairy, cashew milk, or pumpkin seed milk, which touts benefits including magnesium, zinc, and fiber.
Matcha and tea is also on draft, and a pomegranate matcha latte was popular on opening day.
The Refreshery Market
A bodega-style market with healthier snacks and grab-and-go items lines one wall, plus a fridge case of items on another. North Carolina-made items are labeled.
The market mix includes the coffee they use for cold brew, Night Swim Coffee, and Triangle-based Triadic Coffee Roasters.
Snacks on the shelves include a variety of nut butters, functional mushroom-infused chocolate, edamame snacks, Keya’s Snacks potato chips, David protein bars, Fishwife tinned fish, low-sugar candies, and coffee syrups. A section of social tonics include Ghia, other non-alcoholic aperitifs, cocktails, and beers, plus a variety of hemp and CBD beverages.
In the cold case, Breadwalla focaccia, plant-based cheese, pickle chips, house-made overnight oats, and Hillsborough-made D’Nardys Cheesecakes jars are available. Vegan baked goods are on offer in a case near the cashier.
What’s Next for The Refreshery
Stephen McNulty said he plans to add a walk-up window for times they want to close the indoor area. He envisions The Refreshery as a place open for people to grab a drink most days of the year, including some holidays.
How To Go:
The Refreshery, 253 E. Chatham Street, Cary, is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays.