Durham business has plan to pay employees during coronavirus outbreak

"This very serious situation is a real scare for of us and shows how fragile our community and local economy is. Our business employs 48 living wage employees. We have excellent insurance, but even the best policies don't cover pandemics," owners wrote on Facebook. "We've been investing in our roastery and wholesale program, so this is happening while we are thinner than usual, putting us at risk. Our community near and far can help us come through on the other side by ordering coffee for home, gift cards for future purchases on our website (think buying next season's holiday presents now), or setting up new wholesale accounts (by connecting via our website)."

Gift cards, delivery, take-out: Ways to help local businesses

With a menu that pays homage to the history of coffee, Cocoa Cinnamon has been able to establish strong roots in the Bull City. Two more locations have since opened - 2627 Hillsborough Road in 2016 and 2013 Chapel Hill Road in 2018. Not bad for a business that started started in 2010 in the North Carolina mountains, and came to the Triangle as bikeCOFFEE in 2011.

"Because of being able to start off on a bike, out of necessity, but it was kind of a blessing in disguise. It allowed us to really get embedded into the community," Barrera de Grodski said. "We would set up at the farmer's market...the community got to know us."

"Coffee is really at the root of our start and our beginning and our craft," Grodski de Barrera said. "And it's also important for us that it doesn't get lost in the question of design or of wonder and in truth."

Little Waves Coffee Roasters is "focused on sourcing, sampling, treating, having relationships with people who grow and import and sharing those coffees," he added.