321 Coffee Celebrates Opening of New Centennial Campus Shop

321 Coffee, a Raleigh-based coffee shop and roaster that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), has officially opened on NC State’s Centennial Campus. At a Sept. 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony, 321 welcomed the community to its newest location. Cofounders and Wolfpack alumni Lindsay Wrege and Michael Evans, together with NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson, celebrated milestones in the partnership between 321 and the university.

“We are very proud that 321 Coffee has opened on NC State’s Centennial Campus,” said Chancellor Woodson. “By joining Centennial, 321 is ‘coming home’ — and adding to an innovation ecosystem of more than 70 industry, government and nonprofit partners who work alongside our faculty and students. Lindsay and Michael’s commitment to giving back to their community continues to inspire future Wolfpack entrepreneurs.”

Lindsay and Michael’s commitment to giving back to their community continues to inspire future Wolfpack entrepreneurs.

The Centennial cafe, situated in the Venture Place courtyard at 930 Main Campus Drive, operates on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. With a full coffee menu featuring rotating specials and light food options, the shop offers ample indoor and outdoor seating, including two reservable conference rooms and shaded patio space. Greater Good, NC State and 321’s officially licensed cobranded roast, is the menu’s drip coffee. The Greater Good roast highlights our shared values, and a portion of the proceeds supports student scholarships.

Opening a shop on Centennial is particularly meaningful to 321 Coffee and NC State. Cofounders Lindsay and Michael, both Park Scholars, met during their freshman year. They got started in 2017 with just a folding table and a home coffee maker, using their dorm rooms as test kitchens and hosting pop-up events across campus. Their first sales were made here, and the company grew with support from the Wolfpack community.

“This opening feels like a homecoming for us,” said Wrege. “I’m incredibly proud that 321 Coffee’s mission now has a home within both the corporate and student communities at NC State. This proximity creates a unique opportunity to scale our impact.”

This opening feels like a homecoming for us.

Since its inception, 321 Coffee has grown into a beloved local brand with a mission to change the statistic that 80% of adults with disabilities are unemployed. The new location on Centennial will be the company’s fifth and largest across the Triangle, joining its shops at the State Farmers Market and Bloc[83] in downtown Raleigh, as well as its corporate cafes in Pendo and Relias headquarters. 321 has also recently begun selling its coffee in six nearby Whole Foods locations, adding to its Weaver Street Market partnership.

The name 321 refers to Down syndrome, which occurs when a person is born with a third copy of the 21st chromosome. Many of 321 Coffee’s 50-plus employees have Down syndrome, and the company is proud to employ people with all different types of IDDs. The new location will continue 321 Coffee’s mission of providing meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with IDDs.