Duck's Cottage Coffee & Books opened at the Waterfront Shops on July 22, 2002. Our home is the Powder Ridge Gun Club, a hunting cottage built in 1921 by a group of New York investors who frequented the area taking advantage of the waterfowl hunting it afforded. Powder Ridge was the only hunt club ever built in Duck, is one of the oldest buildings in Duck and is often mentioned in local history books.
The original floor plan included three bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen with attached porch, a combined living and dining area and a screened porch on the front. Several outbuildings- guide's quarters and a boathouse- were part of the Club in its heyday.For most of its existence the Club stood right on the shores of the Currituck Sound and a distinctive pair of crossed whalebones graced the peak. Managed by village native and life-long resident Lewis Scarborough, most hunting was done from battery rigs and shoal brush blinds. The Club fell into private hands in the forties and remained a private residence until 2001 when it was moved east a few hundred feet to where it sits today. Its last inhabitant, 'Duck' Braithwaite was a Duck legend; many early comers to Duck have fond memories of sunset cocktail hours spent with Duck and his wife, Betty, on 'Duck' s Porch'. The business, Duck's Cottage, is owned by Allen Lehew; the building remains in the caring hands of Duck and Betty's sons, Jimmy and Bill Braithwaite.
In Duck, you'll find a full service coffee shop with fresh coffee brewed with beans we get weekly from a small artisanal roaster. We can also handle any and all specialty espresso drinks, including our house drinks- the Nutty Duck, the Mucky Duck and the Swan. Pastries, biscotti, cereal and nutrition bars are also available. We carry a good selection of east coast metropolitan newspapers as well as local papers. Our book side may be small, but our meticulously curated inventory includes bestsellers, non-fiction, cookbooks, children's and young adult titles and an eclectic and interesting selection of paperback fiction. We carry adult and childrens puzzles, greeting cards and a small selection of children's toys from Melissa & Doug. Want a souvenir? Pick up a Duck's Cottage t-shirt, mug, hat or tote in a variety of styles.
Duck's Cottage Coffee & Books is located on the pond at the Waterfront Shops in Duck, NC.
To visit our store from Southern beaches travel north on NC 12 through Southern Shores into the Village of Duck. The Waterfront Shops are on the Currituck Sound (left) side of Route 12 just past the big green water tower. Coming from the Northern beaches, follow NC 12 into Duck and the shops will be on your right just past Tommy's Market. Look to the southern end of the parking lot and you'll see the Cottage! If you are staying within Duck village, you'll find we are an easy walk, bike ride or boardwalk stroll from your house. From Corolla, allow about twenty minutes for the drive down; from Kitty Hawk, it takes about fifteen. Drive times not guaranteed on rainy summer days! :)
In both locations, we strive to provide Duck's Cottage patrons with the best coffee, the most interesting books, the coolest toys and awesome service. We are here to help make your vacation experience... your reading pleasure.. or just your day!.. the best it can possibly be. Thank you for shopping with us here online and for supporting an independent bookstore!