The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

Books, chocolate and beer: Inside Epilogue's opening on Franklin Street

epilogue-1105

Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews held a soft opening at it's location on Franklin Street on Nov. 1, 2019.

Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews had its soft opening last Friday, marking the opening of the newest coffee shop on Franklin Street. 

Owner Jaime Sanchez said he and his wife Miranda decided to open Epilogue after a bookshop closed in downtown Chapel Hill. 

“We felt like there was a big hole in downtown,” Sanchez said. “A bookshop creates this whole sense of community for the town so we decided to go forward and try to open our own bookstore.”

Sanchez emphasized that he and his wife wanted to bring in different aspects of their own cultures into Epilogue. 

“Miranda is a writer by trade, so she was going to handle the book part of the deal,” Sanchez said. “I wanted to bring my culture, my Mexican culture, and that’s where the breads, the buñuelos and the churros come into play.”

According to the shop’s website, Epilogue is an independently owned Spanish-style chocolatería and bookstore focusing on creating a community in Chapel Hill. 

“It is a place for people to gather, whether to cultivate new ideas, learn old ones or escape into the welcoming atmosphere that books, chocolate, beer and coffee all provide,” the Epilogue website said. 

The store’s main focus is both on quality and community, so all of their brews are sourced locally. Carrboro Coffee Roasters provides Epilogue with coffee beans and bases for the teas, and Ponysaurus of Durham provides the beers on tap.

Epilogue wants its atmosphere to be calm to allow people to take a break from the chaos that life brings. 

“We want to infuse your day with that atmosphere whether your idea of the perfect break is coffee and a good book, tea and your favorite song, a beer with your friends or sharing conversations with former strangers,” Epilogue’s website said. 

UNC student Chase DuBois is one of the many people excited about the shop’s opening. 

“I’m always excited when a new coffee place opens up nearby, but I’m especially excited that it’s a bookstore too because I feel like that will give it a unique atmosphere,” DuBois said. “I feel like it’ll be a cool new place to hang out and study.”

Amanda Biddix, a sophomore at UNC, said she also loves how the new coffee shop is also a bookstore because she thinks the combination gives it a different atmosphere. 

“It makes it cozy,” she said.

Another fan of this cozy atmosphere is UNC student Alexandra Burnham. 

“They’re different because they have a different vibe than a regular coffee shop,” Burnham said. “I like that it has the quaint feel of a bookstore that you can also get coffee and pastries at.”

Some customers also noted that Epilogue would be a great place to study. 

“I just want to be able to reward myself with some fresh chocolate every now and then while being able to enjoy a nice cup of coffee while I do my schoolwork,” UNC student Ashley Dos Santos said. “That seems like an ideal environment.”

The books feature both familiar authors and lesser-known ones. According to Epilogue's website, each book in the store has been handpicked "to inspire conversation, expand upon our lived experiences and invigorate our minds.”

@HeedenTaylor

city@dailytarheel.com

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.

Special Print Edition
The Daily Tar Heel's 2024 Music Edition

More in City & County

More in The OC Report

More in City & State


More in Food Issue

More in Food & Drink