Photo: Tristan Williams
There’s something special brewing inside Charlottesville’s Main Street Market—and it’s not just the coffee. Give & Take, a thoughtfully curated pop-up café, is redefining what a local coffee shop can be: community-focused, creatively inspired, and uncompromising on quality.
Founder Aja Baldwin started working as a barista in 2018 and quickly fell in love with the culture behind the counter. “There’s a sort of magic that comes with the sense of community at your favorite local coffee shop,” she says. “It became my second home.”
That magic—fueled by years spent visiting standout cafés around the country—ultimately inspired Give & Take, a small-batch roaster concept that brings a national coffee experience to a local scale.
“Charlottesville has great coffee, but I wanted to create something that combined all the things I loved most—especially a true multi-roaster shop with community at its heart,” Baldwin says.
As the name suggests, Give & Take is all about symbiosis. “We give positive energy to our community, and we feel it coming right back to us,” she says.
On any given day, customers can choose from six or more featured roasters, all available on pour-over, and two espresso options: a “house” profile that’s rich and traditional, and a “guest” single-origin that’s lighter and fruitier. The house roaster, Richmond-based Recluse, is a two-person team known for direct-trade relationships and ethically sourced beans.
While coffee is the star, the shop’s matcha—sourced from a centuries-old farm in Uji, Japan—has developed a cult following. “It’s my favorite, and I was adamant about serving it,” says Baldwin. “That perfectionism extends to everything we do.” All drinks are made with organic milk, local honey, and housemade syrups.
Creativity also plays a big role at Give & Take. Baldwin and her team collaborate on new drinks inspired by seasonal ingredients and customer input.
Even as it operated as a pop-up, Give & Take was growing. A permanent space within the market recently opened, providing more seating and a broader menu. Word of mouth has fueled the shop’s growth, and that’s no surprise to Baldwin. “What makes Give & Take special isn’t just the coffee,” she says. “It’s the community we’re building together.”
