Southport Magazine

New cafe takes Southport by storm
Story by Kass Fincher
Southport residents are welcoming one of our newest restaurants downtown – Cafe Koa – with a big “aloha.” Inspired by one of the owner’s experiences in Hawaii, the cafe’s name Koa means adventurer, and it is also the name of a native tree whose wood is used for building canoes and surfboards.

Melanie Woodell and Alexis Oxendine are the mother-daughter owners who opened the cafe in late January of this year. Oxendine, the daughter, also owns Kai-Joe’s on Oak Island. It’s a walk-up window, Mexican-inspired taco stand.
The owners hail from Southern Pines originally. Woodell moved to Southport six years ago as a single mom, when Oxendine was in college in Hawaii. Oxendine received her degree in biochemistry from Hawaii Pacific University, and moved to Boiling Springs about four years ago.
Woodell describes the benefits of her daughter’s education. “Many people don’t realize it, but there really is a science to food. Because of her background, Alexis knows how to place certain things together to achieve a particular flavor.”
Both women are single moms; each have two young boys. The cafe is named after Oxendine’s 4-month old baby, and Kai-Joe’s in Oak Island is named after her older 2-year old son. they decided to offer just breakfast and lunch so that could achieve a work-life balance to raise their families.
Woodell describes their decision to go into business together. “I have been a hair stylist since I was 19, and have owned many salons over the years. I still have a salon – Salon 4128 at South Harbor – where I work a couple days each week. But I was looking for a way to still be creative and at some point retire from doing hair. So we just went for it!”
She goes on to explain their love for the business. “I feel like the two of us working together; it just works. She has the brain; I have the art – it flows well together. We complement each other. I’m in the front, with customers and orders. She is mostly in the kitchen; she makes a lot of the food, but we work together well. I do love plating the food; that’s fun for me. We both love food and we love being a little adventurous with food. Alexis has been a vegetarian for a long time so she brings that awareness to our partnership. It’s about doing something we both love and have a passion for.”
Their creative approach even played a role before the business was open. They painted the outside of the building first, and put balloons in the windows. Creating a sense of anticipation about what was coming in that space, their efforts paid off. “We’ve been very happy with the community’s support,” Woodell says. “We had good word-of-mouth advertising even before we had put a sign up!”
Their space on Howe Street was formerly the home of Baked with Love, whose owner Lisa Botnick gave Oxendine her first job after moving here. The renovations on the interior offer an interesting upcycled décor. The wood on the walls and tables is recycled, much of it from salvaged pallets. Even the tables are made out of surfboards. Woodell describes their design intent. “Alexis’ brother-in-law built everything. We love that rustic, organic feel. But we wanted to incorporate the coastal vibe as well; we hope people like it and feel comfortable here.”
The food has a cool vibe as well. All the bagels are from Bagel Dock in Calabash. The owner is from the Bronx, so they are authentic New York style bagels. Sandwiches are typically offered on bagels, but other bread options are available. The sandwiches are named after rock stars like Dylan, Bowie and Denver. One of the most popular – the Hendrix – offers roast beef, white cheddar, onions, arugula and peppercorn mayo on an Asiago bagel. The Marley is a vegetarian favorite, with sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, onions, greens and tzatziki sauce.
The salads are named for rock songs like Maggie May and Bobby McGee. A favorite is the Mama Mia, with Asian slaw, peanuts, mandarin oranges and a cilantro Thai peanut dressing.
Not to be outdone, the breakfast menu is fun too – named for bands like the Zeppelin and the Blondie. They are served with yogurt, granola and fruit until 11 a.m. each day. A favorite is the Abba, with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, tomatoes and capers on a bagel. The cafe will be offering acai bowls and pastries soon as well.
Woodell laughs about their beverage selections. “Our Barnie’s coffee is super good! And we want to be known for having great lemonade. We’re already known for having great sweet tea! We run out of it daily.”
The women are building on their successful opening with more plans for the future. Their market space will be expanded to offer produce and fresh flowers. This spring they will offer live music several evenings each week with a select menu. They want the evenings at the cafe to be family-oriented, where you can come to relax, have a nice meal and enjoy some live entertainment.
Summing up their goals for Cafe Koa, Woodell put it simply. “We make everything fresh, that’s important to us. We created our menu to enable us to do that. What it comes down to is we’re just a mother and daughter team who love each other, love food, and simply want to do something that’s fun and positive for our community. We love Southport – our small coastal community is awesome.”
These women rule! We wish them the best.

Cafe Koa
302 N. Howe St
Southport
910-363-4206
Open Tuesday – Sunday
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.