Coco Pipa
Wilmington, NC
- Address
- 506 Castle St, Wilmington, NC, 28401
- Website
- cocopipa.com
About Coco Pipa
Coco Pipa is a health-focused café on Castle Street in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving fresh smoothies, açaí bowls, cold-pressed juices, and organic salads. The business describes itself as a 'vibrant health oasis' dedicated to making nutritious, affordable food accessible in a predominantly Black neighborhood where fresh, healthy options have historically been scarce. Every item on the menu is priced under $10, reflecting the founders' commitment to keeping nourishing food within reach regardless of background or budget. Customers can customize smoothies and bowls with or without add-ins to suit individual tastes and dietary needs. The menu draws on global influences, including an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony offering, reflecting the founders' heritage and travels. Coco Pipa is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Beyond food and drink, Coco Pipa functions as a community gathering space, with a colorful interior, a mural, and cozy seating designed to encourage people to linger, connect, work, or unwind. The café hosts community events such as poetry nights, live music from local performers, and movie screenings, positioning itself as a cultural hub as much as a place to eat. The business frames its work as a response to neighborhood displacement and rising costs, aiming to ensure that health and wellness remain accessible to the surrounding community even as the area changes. Coco Pipa's tagline, 'rooted in travel, crafted for community,' captures its dual focus on drawing from diverse global food traditions while staying grounded in serving the people around it.
Coco Pipa was founded by life partners Isaac Bol and Lizzy Fowler, who set out to bring a taste of global health and wellness to Wilmington. The café blends Isaac's Ethiopian and South Sudanese heritage with Lizzy's New England roots, along with inspiration the couple gathered while traveling through Central America, Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Their shared goal was to reimagine what it means to nourish the body, mind, and soul, and to make vibrant, health-driven food accessible to communities where it is often out of reach, particularly the predominantly Black neighborhood surrounding their Castle Street location. By keeping every menu item under $10, the founders built a business explicitly designed to make healthy eating affordable rather than a luxury. What began as a food concept grew into a community space: Coco Pipa now hosts poetry nights, live music, and movie screenings, turning the café into a gathering point for connection as much as nutrition. Isaac and Lizzy describe their mission as blending culture, health, and love into every bite, and see the business as a way to keep wellness within reach for their neighborhood even as it faces pressures like displacement and rising costs.
Services
- smoothies
- acai bowls
- cold-pressed juices
- organic salads
- coffee ceremony
- community events
Photos
