LogoOutpost
Warm café counter with steam rising from a ceramic pour-over and an espresso machine
Open · 7AM – 7PM · Durham, NC

Where the
espresso hits
first.

Veteran-owned corner café in Durham. Better cortado than the chain across the street — and every shelf tells a story.

The Makers

Every shelf tells a story.

Veteran makers. Real names. Goods built with the same discipline that kept them standing.

Portrait of a Black man in his 40s with a close-cropped beard, wearing a work apron, looking directly at the camera with quiet confidence
USMCSgt · 2003–2011

Marcus T. Webb

Leatherworker · Durham, NC

Marcus learned to hand-stitch leather during a deployment downtime in Fallujah. Eight years later he runs Ironside Leather out of his garage on Holloway St. Every piece is numbered. None are rushed.

Full Story
Dark brown leather journal cover with hand-stitched edges on a wooden surface
Bestseller

Field Journal Cover

by Marcus · Leatherworker

$48
Brown leather dopp kit with brass zipper and stitched handle on a wooden surface
New

Leather Dopp Kit

by Marcus · Leatherworker

$68
Slim tan leather card wallet with a single card slot and embossed texture

Card Wallet

by Marcus · Leatherworker

$34
Portrait of a white woman in her late 30s with short hair and clay-dusted hands, smiling softly in a pottery studio
U.S. ArmySSG · 2005–2016

Dana "Ski" Kowalski

Ceramic Artist · Chapel Hill, NC

Dana threw her first pot at a VA art therapy session in 2017. Now her garage kiln fires 200 pieces a month. The mugs you drink from at Outpost are hers. She signs the bottoms in pencil.

Full Story
Handmade stoneware mug in matte olive glaze with finger groove handle on a wooden surface
On the Counter

Stoneware Mug 12oz

by Dana · Ceramic Artist

$32
Set of two small handmade espresso cups in cream and brown glaze on a linen napkin
Set of 2

Espresso Cup Set

by Dana · Ceramic Artist

$54
Wide handmade ceramic serving bowl with a speckled gray glaze on a kitchen counter
Limited

Serving Bowl

by Dana · Ceramic Artist

$78
Leather Goods·Ceramic Work·Hot Sauce·Apparel·Candles·Wood Art·Veteran-Made·Durham, NC·Leather Goods·Ceramic Work·Hot Sauce·Apparel·Candles·Wood Art·Veteran-Made·Durham, NC·
What's On

The Community Board

This café does things. Show up.

Full Calendar

Feb

28

Fri

Community7:00 PM

Open Mic Night

Original music and spoken word. Veterans get the first three slots. Doors open at 6:30.

12 seats left of 40

Mar

04

Wed

Veterans10:00 AM

Résumé Workshop

Translating military service into civilian careers. Led by a former Army HR officer. Coffee included.

7 seats left of 20

Mar

08

Sun

Market9:00 AM

Veteran Maker Market

Six makers. One morning. Shop direct, hear their stories, take something home that means something.

Open to all

Mar

15

Sun

Workshop2:00 PM

Community Brew Session

Learn pour-over basics from our head barista. Bring your own mug. Limit 8 people.

3 seats left of 8

Never miss what's happening.

Events, new makers, seasonal menu drops — straight to your inbox.

The Regulars

What they say.

4,200+

Orders placed

18

Veteran makers

97%

Would recommend

6

Community events/mo

"I've tried every café in Durham. Outpost is the only one that makes me feel like I belong there. The cortado is perfect and the leather journal I bought my dad made him cry."

PR

Priya Ramachandran

Regular · Durham, NC

"My brother served two tours and now his hot sauce is on the counter at Outpost. That matters more than I can say. The coffee isn't bad either."

TG

Tomás Guerrero

Military Family · Raleigh, NC

"I work remotely three days a week from a table by the window. The internet is solid, the noise level is right, and nobody makes me feel like I'm renting the chair."

SO

Simone Okafor

Remote Worker · Durham, NC

The Mission

10% of all sales support veteran entrepreneurship programs in the Triangle. Every cup counts.

Learn more
Warm café interior with wooden tables, a chalkboard menu on the wall, and morning light streaming through large windows
🇺🇸 Veteran-Owned

"Pull open a heavy wooden door on a Tuesday morning. The bell rings. The coffee hits you."

Our Story

Outpost is a corner café.
And a marketplace. And a gathering place.

Founded by two veterans who wanted a better third place — somewhere between home and the office where the coffee is serious and the people are real.

Every maker on our shelves is a veteran. Every event on our calendar builds something. The espresso machine hisses beside a folded flag because that's just how it is here.

Hours

Mon – Fri7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sat – Sun8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
418 Holloway St, Durham, NC
🌶️

Reaper's Reserve Hot Sauce — Army Vet, Fayetteville NC

Small batch · Carolina Reaper blend · "Tastes like a fire mission"

$14