09/12/2026
I’ve been trying to find the right words for this for the past few days.
If you’ve driven by the café, you’ve probably already noticed the lights are off and the doors are closed. Unfortunately, I need to officially say what is painfully obvious:
The Sea Glass Café is closed for good.
As of September 1, 2026, Sea Glass Café was no longer in business.
This was not an easy decision, and we’re sorry for the abrupt announcement and for the lack of communication over the last few days. There are a lot of pieces behind a decision like this, especially for a small, locally owned business.
Our lease agreement was not going to be renewed, and that reality, coupled with changes in sales and income, outstanding invoices, rising supply-chain costs, and the overall economic climate, all took their toll.
As difficult as it is, we believe closing now is the responsible decision for the business and those behind it.
But before we say goodbye, we need to say thank you.
For almost 10 years, you allowed us to take a little café on the corner and make it ours — and, more importantly, make it yours.
We were told that if we took away the cranberry bread, nobody would come.
You came.
We were told that if we focused on breakfast and brunch, nobody would come.
You came.
We were told outdoor tables wouldn’t work.
You came.
We were told that if we raised the prices, nobody would come.
You came.
We started out giving away 1,000 Cards for a FREE SHORT STACK of our scratch made pancakes -no purchase necessary…who does that?
We did.
We offered a 50% discount to our military and first responders because we believed they deserved it. We brought breakfast tacos to New Bern.
We hosted a Coffee with a Cop event like no other featuring the Big Omelet Challenge.
And you showed up for all of it.
You showed up when hurricanes devastated our community — including the days when we had no power ourselves, yet we held flashlights, cooked what we could, and served our neighbors until we ran out of food.
You showed up when we asked for donations to take to Texas with for hurricane victims.
You showed up, time and time again.
That is why the phrase “Sea Glass Ambassadors” has always meant so much to us. You weren’t just customers. You became friends, familiar faces, supporters, cheerleaders, and part of the story.
To our past and present employees: thank you for your dedication, your patience, your hard work, and for everything you endured and contributed over the years.
A special thank you to the Original Sea Glass team breaking sales records week after week, long days, enduring changes daily, the level of ownership you took embodied the word “team.” Just like championship sports franchises — the things we accomplished together will likely never be replicated.
You helped build a culture that was Sea Glass.
And from me personally — as the guy behind about 80% of the social media and marketing over the years — thank you to the entire Sea Glass team for allowing me to be part of this journey.
I wrote the very first message on this page.
It feels fitting — and incredibly bittersweet — that I get to write the last one.
There are countless memories we could list, but some things will always belong to Sea Glass:
Self-service coffee bar (with multiple flavored coffee)
Madness Specials.
Cranberry bread.
Breakfast tacos.
The most attended Coffee with a Cop Event in the area.
The Big Omelet Challenge.
The Craven County Benedict.
50% Discount for Military members and first responders.
And doing things our own way.
Nobody else will ever do it quite like we did.
To every person who walked through our doors, brought a friend, shared a meal, celebrated a moment, grabbed a cup of coffee, recommended us, defended us, supported us, or simply stopped by to say hello:
Thank you. From the absolute bottom of our hearts.
Please keep supporting your local businesses. Small businesses feel economic changes in ways that larger corporations often don’t, and every purchase, meal, recommendation, review, and kind word matters.
We hope New Bern continues to fight for the little businesses that make this community special.
Thank you, New Bern.
Thank you, Sea Glass Ambassadors.
Thank you for almost 10 incredible years.
With love and gratitude,
The Sea Glass Café Team
In the words of our owner, “the train never stops. Some people get off and some people get on but the train never stops.”
“SHUT IT DOWN!”
Sea Glass is 86’d. ❤️
