STORY
OUR
ABOUT US
We're family-owned and operated!
Hidden Grounds Coffee was born from the dream of our three owners, Tay, Josh, and Caitlin Skidmore. Our little fam consists of the brother-sister duo of Caitlin and Josh, the best friend duo of Tay and Caitlin, and the husband/wife duo of Tay and Josh. When we say our team is a family, we mean it quite literally!
As proud UNCW alumni, our love for Wilmington was built from a young age. This love fueled our desire for stronger involvement within our community. As coffee junkies ourselves, the vision of owning a shop that not only serves great coffee but also cultivates a warm, communal atmosphere became a dream of ours.
That opportunity came knocking when our favorite little ivy-covered building in Downtown Wilmington became available, a building we had dreamed of for years. It was at that moment that we knew we had to take a leap of faith and give it our all to make our dream become a reality.
Our doors officially opened to the public in September 2023 and since, we’ve felt nothing but absolute gratitude for the incredible support shown by our guests. As a sincere note, we truly thank every individual who walks through our doors and supports our Hidden Grounds family.
We love you.
xo Tay, Josh, and Cait
WHY DINOSAURS?
After almost a year of renovating the backyard, we finally transformed our overgrown jungle into the oasis of our dreams. We battled weeds the size of the building, unearthed enough rocks to build a castle, and kept our spirits high (with some help from our friends next door at Banter). Somewhere around rock #3,000, we caught ourselves dreaming about digging up a fossil. That got us thinking about our childhood obsession with dinosaurs—and let's be real, we still think they're legitimately the coolest things ever. It was at that moment that we decided -- dinosaurs would roam at Hidden Grounds.
WHY COWBOYS?
Welp, this one hits a little closer to home. Cait and Josh's dad, Frank (aka Franky McStanky) worked for a tobacco company for 30 years. Growing up, the Skidmore siblings were surrounded by endless Marlboro memorabilia, which sparked our perpetual love of the baddest man to ever live, The Marlboro Man. So, while our hearts were set on dinosaurs, we couldn’t just turn our backs on our love of caffeine and cowboys. And thus, the ultimate mashup was born—our signature theme: Dino Cowboy.
