Stephanie Spear 
For some of us, coffee is the hero of the morning (or afternoon), turning us from slowly dragging zombies into our more recognizable selves. For Jessica and Tim Meleck, coffee is the hero of the community: it is the thing that draws us together. At Meanwhile…Coffee, Jessica + Tim’s Herndon shop, coffee is their vehicle for creating a gathering space for coffee drinkers, crafters, gamers, and anyone looking for a really great cup of joe. The colorful shop, located at 2309 Woodland Crossing Drive in Herndon, is inviting and engaging, with its bright, comic-book style colors and life-sized murals, to say nothing of its excellent coffee and snack offerings. Read on for more about Meanwhile… Coffee in Herndon, Virginia.
The Backstory
Neither Jessica nor Tim Meleck, the owners of Meanwhile… Coffee had any experience running a coffee shop when the cafe opened its doors in March 2025. “Having a coffee shop was always part of our ‘someday’ plan,” Jessica said. While dating, their go-to activity was visiting coffee shops with friends, drawing, talking, and soaking in the atmosphere. “Every coffee shop is different,” Jessica says. “The vibe, the aesthetic, the menu. It always felt like a space where community naturally happened.”
Jessica and Tim were working as teachers in their native Texas and knew something had to give. “We wanted to get out of Texas, and we couldn’t wait for the right moment, or for our kids to get older,” she said. “It was now or never.” Despite never having been to Northern Virginia, Jessica and Tim moved their family to Herndon in August 2023 based on research she had done. “Herndon ticked a lot of boxes for us,” she said. “It had diversity, different weather, a good place to raise our kids, and not many independent coffee shops!”
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The family got settled into Herndon, with the kids enrolled in school. Tim got a teaching job, and Jessica took a long-term substitute teacher position while she studied up on coffee, how to run a small business, and scouting out spaces. Naming the shop was unexpectedly hard, but when they landed on Meanwhile… Coffee, everything clicked.
Tim, who does graphic design and is a lifelong comic book fan, designed the logo to mimic the classic “Meanwhile…” panels seen in comics. Jessica, who loves superhero stories, especially female and minority heroes, immediately saw the potential. “I have no background in comic books,” she says, “but I loved the logo. I knew we could build a whole theme around it.”
Tim curated all the artwork in the shop, giving the space an eclectic, Austin-inspired feel — colorful and intentionally playful. Jessica worked with Counter Culture Coffee to source beans, equipment, and training for the baristas. She found local partners to provide sweet and savory menu items to round out the cafe’s offerings.
What to Expect
Jessica and Tim’s vision to create a coffee shop that serves as the backdrop for community is clear from the moment patrons enter the space. There is just about any type of seating arrangement one could want, including a large table for groups and a low coffee table for games. There is a games cabinet filled with puzzles and games for patrons to use while visiting.
The shop frequently hosts reading circles for children, hobby groups, makers markets, and other special events. “Some of our regulars host role-playing games here, and we work with the Monroe Street Studio to host knitting circles,” Jessica said. “We love when people come to us with ideas.”
Knitters at Meanwhile…Coffee. Photo courtesy of Jessica Meleck.
On weekends, croissant-based items come from Fresh Baguette. Muffins, one of the shop’s biggest hits, are supplied by Chunker’s Bakery, a locally owned business known for unique, sourdough-based flavors like cherry dark chocolate.
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For savory options, Jessica was determined from day one to serve empanadas. That led her to Empanadas de Mendoza, another local husband-and-wife-run business. “We opened with empanadas in mind,” she says. “I love supporting other people who are trying to make it.”
As for coffee, the comic book theme carries through the menu:
- Heroes are the classics: lattes, cappuccinos, cortados — the drinks you expect from a great coffee shop.
- Alter Egos feature non-coffee options like chai and matcha.
- Team-Ups are specialty drinks dreamed up by shift lead Arushi, who brings creativity, bold flavors, and visual flair to each seasonal offering.
- Sidekicks include add-ins like syrups, milk options, and cold foams.
The result is a menu that’s both accessible and fun – familiar enough for regulars, but inventive enough to keep people curious.
After all of this, one of Jessica’s favorite surprises has been the relationships. “I love knowing people’s names, their orders, things about their lives,” she says. “I didn’t expect to love that as much as I do.”
Meanwhile…Coffee is located at 2309 Woodland Crossing Drive and is open from 7AM to 4PM Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8AM to 5PM.
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