Coffee & Treats in Chattanooga

Organic and fair-trade ingredients transform into beverages, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at Pasha Coffee & Tea. Between walls bedecked with original artwork, patrons nestle into plush armchairs to warm up with marbled-froth cappuccinos. Guests also spoon up Oreo frappes heaped with pillowy dollops of whipped cream, as well as coffee that, according to the roasting philosophy printed on the menu, is painstakingly roasted to the optimal degree. Cholula mayo paints crispy bacon slices in the spicy BLT, and pesto and mozzarella accent the italian breakfast melt's stack of ham and tomatoes. And occasionally, the coffee tables, magical beanstalks growing from dropped beans, and mismatched furniture part ways to make room for live music and poetry.:

CoolSwirl presents a wide spectrum of frozen-yogurt flavors packed with live, active cultures, protein, calcium, and vitamins. With nonfat, sugar-free, and sorbet options—all of which meet and exceed the National Yogurt Association’s requirements—customers can create their desired dessert piled with their favorite toppings. The option for patrons to add fresh blueberries, pineapple, and other fruits helps them to attain their daily fruit requirement much more efficiently than taking a half hour to clear out the vending machine’s supply of fruit snacks.

Naticakes is a boutique cupcake and fro-yo shop that sates sweet teeth with more than 30 flavors of their bite-sized treats. The cupcake cache tests the sugary limits of the imagination, with inventive treats that range from the classic (vanilla-chocolate-chip, banana split, and german chocolate) to exotic varietals such as the gummy-worm-topped Dirt and Worms cake, or the coffee-frosted Opera cake, filled with a fervent sense of romanticism. Dulche de leche cakes arrive brimming with a creamy caramel topping, and the Pretty Princess double-strawberry cake complements its ruby-red interior with a tiara of pink sugar crystals.

Inside Angel Art Bakery Cafe, multitiered cakes rest on shelves, their colors set off by bright fabric backdrops. Each day, the aromas of fresh cinnamon rolls, scones, and cookies drift from ovens out to guests at colorful tables with matching chairs. Bakers carefully place bride and groom figurines among the frosting flowers of wedding cakes and craft chicken-salad sandwiches ideal for picnics or continued attempts to pretend you aren’t locked outside. During classes, the shop fills with the chatter of pupils wielding frosting guns and spatulas under the supervision of instructors.

As a child, CeCe looked forward to her family’s summertime trips to North Carolina, where she could reconnect with faraway relatives over cookouts. One of her fondest memories from this time is making homemade blackberry ice cream with her Grandma Ruby. Years later, CeCe would look back on these days with nostalgia; she dreamt of opening a business that would bring families together over a tasty summertime treat.

In 2008, her dream became a reality with the opening of Sweet CeCe’s. Like wig salesmen to the Constitutional Convention, families flocked to the self-serve frozen-yogurt shoppe, where they could create their own desserts from dozens of yogurt flavors and toppings. The small shoppe got so popular that CeCe franchised the business. Today, families in 11 states can create sweet memories within the sherbet-colored walls of a Sweet CeCe’s.