One of my favorite things about running Common Tides is that I genuinely never know what kind of place I'm going to pull up to next. Some mornings it's an apartment courtyard full of people who have become regulars. Some weekends it's a farm I've never been to before, surrounded by people who have no idea who I am or what Common Tides even is. Both of those days are some of my favorites.
A lot of people think of a coffee trailer as something that parks in one spot and stays there. Common Tides doesn't work like that. We move around — intentionally. And over time, we've ended up at some genuinely great places and some genuinely great events. This post is my attempt to capture that and give you a sense of where you might find us and what it actually looks like when we show up.
Apartment Communities — Where the Regulars Are
If I'm being honest, apartment pop-ups are where some of my favorite moments happen. There is something really rewarding about showing up to the same community a few times and having people come out who know your name, know what they want before they even get to the window, and bring their neighbors over to try something new.
I've served at a handful of apartment communities around Wilmington — Hudson Renaissance, The Helmsman, 17Social, The Reserve at Blake Farms, Mayfaire Flats, and Element Barclay at The Pointe are some of the ones I keep coming back to. Each community has its own energy and its own crowd, and getting to know those regulars is one of the best parts of doing this.
There's a real community that forms around a coffee stop. People who wouldn't otherwise run into each other end up standing in the same line, talking. I love being the reason that happens, even if I'm just the guy making lattes.
For property managers and leasing teams — this is one of the easiest resident events you can do. I pull up, set up, and everything runs from the trailer. No kitchen access, no setup on your end, nothing to coordinate beyond the date and time. The residents do the rest.
Gyms — Coffee Before (and After) the Work
This one might surprise people, but gyms have been some of my best stops. I've served at Amplifly, F45, and ISI Elite — and gym crowds are genuinely some of the most enthusiastic customers I've had. People who are already motivated and already in a routine tend to embrace a great cup of coffee the same way they embrace everything else in their morning.
The timing works really well. Morning classes let out and there's a window where people are ready to refuel, ready to talk, and ready to try something different than whatever they would have grabbed on the drive home. It's a natural fit, and I've met a lot of great people through those stops.
Farms — The Events That Feel the Most Like Home
I don't know how to explain this without sounding a little sentimental, but farm events just feel right. There's something about pulling the trailer up to an open piece of land, setting up while the sun is still low, and serving coffee to people who are genuinely happy to be outside that hits different than any other type of stop.
I've been to Trask Family Farms and Old River Farms, and I'm scheduled to be at Oak and Fennel Farms coming up. Each one has been its own experience.
Cows & Coffee at Old River Farms
The Cows & Coffee event at Old River Farms is one I keep coming back to in my head. The farm was absolutely beautiful — the kind of place you want to just stand in for a minute before you do anything else. And the people who came out were so warm. There was a real line, which is always exciting, and the food truck that was there actually sold out before the event was over — that's how good the turnout was. Everyone was patient, everyone was kind, and by the end of it I remember just feeling genuinely grateful to have been part of that day.
That's the kind of event that reminds me why I built this thing. It's not just coffee. It's being somewhere that matters, at a moment that matters, and hopefully making it a little better.
Medical Offices — A Different Kind of Community
I've also served at healthcare settings — Novant Health at Scotts Hill and a primary care office off 16th Street. Staff who work long hours and care for people all day deserve a really good cup of coffee, full stop. Those stops have been quieter than a farm event or an apartment pop-up, but the appreciation is real and I always leave feeling like it was worth the drive.
Weddings — The Most Personal Stops of All
I have a wedding coming up in June and I couldn't be more excited about it. I'm also booked at Sycamore Bend and Oak and Fennel Farms, both of which are beautiful wedding venues, and I have more inquiries coming in. If you're reading this and you're planning a wedding — I would genuinely love to be part of your day.
A craft coffee trailer at a wedding does something that a standard coffee service just doesn't. It's interactive. It gives guests something to do during cocktail hour. It gives people a moment at the window where they get to order something made exactly for them. And honestly, it photographs beautifully. I've seen couples use coffee service as a way to extend the evening, bringing people outside, giving the night a second wind after dinner.
If you're reading this and you're getting married — reach out. I'd love to hear about your event and figure out how Common Tides can be part of it. No pressure, just coffee and a conversation.
What I Love Most About All of It
People ask me sometimes what my favorite type of event is and I genuinely can't give them a straight answer. I love going back to the apartments where people know me. I love showing up somewhere brand new where nobody knows Common Tides yet and watching it click for someone for the first time. I love being at a farm on a Saturday morning. I love being at a gym when the energy is already high. I love being at a wedding where everything is personal and intentional.
What I love across all of it is the connection. Small businesses don't have to be invisible. Even a single trailer can show up, do the work, make something worth drinking, and make someone's day a little better. That's what I'm trying to do every time I roll out.
If you want to see where we're going to be next, the best place to check is our live schedule at find.commontides.com. We update it regularly and you can see every upcoming stop on the map. And if you want to bring Common Tides to your event, apartment, gym, farm, or wedding — head to book.commontides.com and let's make it happen.