NORTH CHARLESTON — New cafés, coffee shops and bakeries have been opening in the Charleston area with great frequency over the past few months.
One of the most distinct to debut this summer is a place attached to a laundromat that earlier this year was featured on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” And this coffee shop also doubles as a vintage clothing store.
Herbert’s Vintage and Coffee, owned by Tyler and Kennedy Troyer, opened in June at 2017 Reynolds Avenue. Enter the three-month-old cafe on the back left side of Reynolds Laundry, whose owners appeared on the “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in April, when they received a $10,000 donation from the award-winning vocalist and host.
The Troyers were visiting their friends and laundromat owners Erin and Jon Carpenter the day they purchased the business that would later reach a national audience. Years later, the Troyers joined them in North Charleston, leasing the corner space after moving to the area from Boone, N.C.
Where the laundromat has become a community gathering place with monthly free laundry days, Herbert’s is a haven for hipsters, coffee enthusiasts and those in search of a pair of worn jeans or cowboy boots.
Along with its classic-but-timeless men’s and women’s clothing, patrons will find strawberry shortcake lattes, pistachio matchas and other creative drinks, some poured into tall glasses shaped like cowboy boots.
Coffee beans are sourced from Counter Culture, and syrups are purchased from a small-batch company named Proper.