Tar Heel Traveler: 321 Coffee

From a folding table to a building. A local Raleigh shop is proof that you can do anything you set your mind to, but coffee is only a part of their story. WRAL's Tar Heel Traveler shows how the employees make up the secret ingredient.
Posted 2/20/2026, 12:15:50 AM Updated 2/20/2026, 1:00:08 AM

BE MORE DEPENDABLE FOR RIDERS

WITH DISABILITIES AND MOBILITY

CHALLENGES. IT'S A COFFEE

COMPANY THAT'S SO MUCH MORE ONE

THAT TOOK A BOLD RISK. TONIGHT

WE FIND OUR TAR HEEL TRAVELER

IN RALEIGH, SCOTT MASON VISITS

3 TO ONE COFFEE.

>> IT JUST WALK IN AND LIGHTS.

>> AND MEET THE EMPLOYEE.

I LOVE IT. SHE LOVES COFFEE.

IT'S AMAZING. AND SHE LOVES

MAKING THE COFFEE. I'M SUPER

PROUD OF AND SHE'S ON THE

COFFEE. AND THEN SOPHIE.

YEAH, A MONTH. AND SHE IS PART

OF SOMETHING BIGGER. THEN CALL

FOR BELIEVING IN LEAVING AND

OTHERS GIVING PEOPLE THE

OPPORTUNITY TO TRY.

>> BUT TAKING ACTION TO DO

SOMETHING, THE GREATER GOOD.

>> I WAS JUST SHOCKED.

>> AND WHAT ABOUT YOU? I DO

3 TO ONE COFFEE.

>> I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THE

GOAL OF GOING TO MED SCHOOL.

AND I CAN JUST REMEMBER SITTING

THROUGH LIKE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

TO.

>> AND BEING BORED OUT OF MY

MIND AND THEN I WOULD WORK ON

THINGS WITH 3 TO ONE AND IT

WAS EXCITING. IT WAS LIKE A

STRONG BOND. ONE OF MY FRIENDS,

EMMA CHANCE DOWN 10 INCHES.

SO AWESOME. SHE HAD A JOB WHEN

WE WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I

REMEMBER CHATTING WITH HER ONE

DAY AND JUST SAYING LIKE A

MONTH.

>> KUDOS AND SHE SAID, THANKS.

ALTHOUGH LET ME DO IS CLAIM

THAT THERE.

>> HE STARTED 3, 2, ONE.

WE WERE 18 YEARS, ALL CLEAR.

FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE. WE STARTED

ON A FOLDING TABLE IN THE

BRICKYARD AT NC STATE. YOU HAVE

ANY COFFEE EXPERIENCE? NO.

NEITHER OF US HAD ANY COFFEE

EXPERIENCE GOING INTO THAT THEN

TURNED INTO LIKE, WELL, MAYBE

WE COULD START ROASTING AROUND

COFFEE. MAYBE WE CAN START

EXPANDING OUR BRICK AND MORTAR.

MAYBE WE COULD START GETTING

INTO GROCERY STORES AND HIRE

MORE GOOD WORK LIKE PAUL.

>> IS ROASTING THE COFFEE.

BE A NEW KIND OF US IN A 5TH OF

ALL US SUPERSTAR IN WRONG AT

3, 2, 1, COM, 3, 2, ONE

REPRESENTS DOWN SYNDROME, WHICH

IS THE 3RD COPY OF THE 21ST

CHROMOSOME POWER. THE EMPLOYEES

THAT THE BEST IT'S CONTAGIOUS,

POSITIVE ENERGY EVERY DAY.

I MEAN, WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE

ABOUT THAT? IT'S AN IMPORTANT

MISSION FOR US. AN IMPORTANT

MISSION TO SHOW OTHER

BUSINESSES THAT THIS IS A MODEL

TO FOLLOW. 3 TO ONE COFFEE IS

SOLD IN MORE THAN 500 GROCERY

STORE TO THEIR OFFICES ALL OVER

THE COUNTRY THAT 3, 2 AND

COFFEE IS BREWING IN THEIR

BREAK GROUND AND IT ALL BEGAN

WITH A LITTLE IDEA AND BEST

LITTLE FRIEND.

>> I WOULD RATHER TRY AND FAIL,

THEN REGRET NOT TRYING ANY

PLAYER, ISN'T THAT THEY'RE HARD

WORKERS. THEY'RE SMART. THEY

ARE CAPABLE. THEY ARE DRIVEN.

THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT

INCLUSION AND PASSION ABOUT THE

COFFEE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME

COMES. IT'S NOT ABOUT THIS IS

LIKE ACTUALLY SO GOOD. AND I

APPRECIATE THE COMPLIMENT BUT

I WISH IT WASN'T A SURPRISE.

BUT RIGHT, THERE'S IF THERE'S

A STIGMA THERE. AND WHEN YOU

CAN CREATE SPACES LIKE TREE TO

IN COFFEE THAT CAN BRING

EVERYONE ANDREW CAN JUST HAVE

ORGANIC CONVERSATION AND GET

TO KNOW PEOPLE AS PEOPLE GOOD