New Coffee Shops Keep Percolating in Roanoke's Old Southwest Neighborhood

From a focus on in-season beans to a coffee shop and bakery, Roanoke's Old Southwest neighborhood is getting new places to java.

The Second Café team, Charlie Claus, left, and Sadie Smith, right, want to bring an approachable, elevated coffee experience to Roanoke. Their venture is set to open around the first week of November in the former live music venue The Phoenix in the Old Southwest neighborhood. PHOTO BY AMY LOEFFLER FOR THE ROANOKE RAMBLER

If coffee shops are the catalyst that changes the DNA of neighborhoods, Roanoke’s Old Southwest is about to experience a shift in its genetic makeup.