Carve Your Own Path

Wrapping up our vacation in the sunshine state, my family decided to check out Carve Surf and Coffee because the name fit our recent beach visits and surfing attempt (my brother can surf. . . I can ride on my stomach). Carve turned out to be one of the most unique and niche coffee shops I’ve found yet.

The shop’s slogan, “carve your own path,” refers to more than just the surfer vibes emanating from the space. Carve was founded by two women who wanted to do more than work 9 to 5 jobs in the cooperate IT world. They took their passion for the ocean—they’ve surfed since they were 14, traveling and competing—and combined it with coffee knowledge from spending countless hours in coffee shops during college.

Carve Surf and Coffee, opened just four months ago, was the result of their dream to carve their own path through life.

Atmosphere

Clean. Simple. Intentional. Carve’s beach and surfing aesthetic can be seen in every detail. Cloud white walls flow into an ocean-teal tiled counter. Light wood furniture and sand colored pendant lights add some land touches. Our beach attire fit right in with the local photographer’s beach images.

A line of beach dresses, Carve apparel, surf pads and leashes, and coffee essentials stands out against the white background. Products like dresses and metal straws help support local small business owners.

Carve’s seating is limited—a window bar and two wood coffee table nooks—but a collection of surfing books and magazines about waves and boards from around the world kept my family occupied for at least an hour.

And of course, the most obvious surfer element: a perfectly arrange row of Carve-branded surfboards. But the boards are more than just decoration. Carve offers month and day-long memberships to access surfboards and get coffee discounts (owner’s exclusive business idea with reasonable pricing).

As if the original atmosphere isn’t enough to intrigue locals and tourists alike, Carve is ecologically oriented. All surfboards are custom-made ecoboards “made with recycled foam core and plant-based resin, recycled fins made from beach plastic, 100% cork traction pads, and recycled leashes.”

They also promote sustainability by providing bamboo rather than plastic straws, educating guests about turtle preservation through signs, and hosting local events like movie nights and yoga classes.

Drinks & Prices

One perk of reviewing coffee shops with my family is I have a whole selection of drinks to comment on, giving you a better picture of quality and options.

• Nitro cold brew: Great! Very smooth and strong but not bitter (just the way my dad likes it).

• Iced americano: Refreshing, according to my mom. With just one shot of espresso diluted by the ice, it wasn’t too strong. It almost had a clean flavor.

• Drip brew: Mild Nicaragua roast was a different blend than my family is used to, but makes a good standard black cup of coffee.

• Coffee in a Cone: My drink was so unique it really needs its own paragraph.

Coffee in a Cone is literally a hot macchiato in a thick, edible cone lined with chocolate. This super cool drink idea was originally made in South Africa, and Carve is the first coffee shop to bring it to Florida. To me, the macchiato was very strong. To everyone else it was extremely good. I’m now able to taste the flavors in coffee—still not the biggest fan—but the chocolate was the perfect compliment.

Carve serves Panther Coffee, a small-batch roasting company in Miami, and their specialty drinks are named after fish—adding to the ocean vibes and expanding the simple but sufficient coffee selection.

---

“Carve is everything we could have imagined and more. I love being able to put a smile on people’s faces and have a conversation past the coffee transaction” -Kim, Co-Founder & Barista

Carve Surf and Coffee does an excellent job of achieving its goal to inspire people to carve their own path in life (for example, after visiting I finally started an Instagram account to promote my blog! Go give it a follow 😊).

What are you passionate about doing?