People talk about the feel of Exchange Coffee Co. as much as the menu: cozy, friendly, and easy to settle into with a book, a friend, or just the wifi. The name is the mission. The folks who run it set out to live in exchange for others, and part of the proceeds supports local foster care and adoption agencies and families. A downtown Simpsonville fixture for more than a decade, the shop also hosts baby showers, rehearsal dinners, and business presentations.
The coffee bar runs from Ethiopian drip to cortados, cafe con leche, and a Cuban espresso whipped with sugar. Syrups are house-made, honey and lavender among them. Pastries come from the shop's sister bakery, Sovereign Bakehouse, which bakes everything from scratch, and reviewers single out its range of gluten-free and vegan sweets.
The crepes are the house signature, every one gluten-free and made with coconut flour and arrowroot, with vegan versions on request. The chorizo and breakfast sausage come from Bethel Trails Farm, a family operation down in Gray Court. Savory or sweet is the real decision, and between Sgt. Zach's Pepper Jack Smack and the cane-sugar Plain and Simpsonville, it rarely gets settled in one visit.