Durham is not one for redundancy. I can't think of one restaurant or café that mimics another, and the opening of a new tea and coffee joint downtown is keeping in line with this sentiment.

Respite Café, located at 115 N. Duke St., unit No. 1A, is a coffee and teashop opening later this month thanks to Duke Law School alum Courtney Brown, and it will have its own place amongst the Francesca's and Mad Hatters of Durham.

After a few years practicing law on Ninth Street, Brown realized her heart wasn't in a legal career. She quit her law job in 2010, and with help from her family, she got serious about opening a café.

She is now just weeks away from opening Respite, whose name she cannot believe had not been taken already by some other foodie around town.

The beans will be from Carrboro Coffee, the local roaster behind the brews at Caffé Driade in Chapel Hill and Open Eye Café in Carrboro.

The leaves will come from The Age of Tea, a distributor based out of New York.

As of now there will be more than 20 loose-leaf teas available.

In addition to a plethora of drink options, Brown is offering treats such as traditional French and Italian pastry, ham and cheese sandwiches, soft pretzels with cream cheese, yogurt, and a cheese plate.

She's using local vendors as much as possible - the cheese plate will be coming from Reliable Cheese Co., for example.

"As much as I love the law - and I do - it's not the career for me," she said.

Opening Respite "is a business that lets me to do what I want to do in my personal life."

What she most loves to do is bring people together.

During times of stress she has always turned to a cup of something soothing and hot, hosting friends, and good food.

Respite, she says, is meant to be a gathering place, be it for work, pleasure, or just a break from the grind.

There will be room for at least 40 within the 1,500-square-foot space, she said, and there will be seating arrangements ideal for groups of all sizes, be it couches or tables.

It's a great location and Brown knows it - just across the street from both West Village and the Durham School of the Arts, she is sure to get young professionals at the end of a long day, or students looking for a break after (hopefully not in lieu of!) class.

With DSA so close, she also plans to serve treats like hot chocolate, milkshakes and colas.

She will also be doing a small amount of tea and coffee retail, along with mugs, such as the travel mugs that will get you a discount on future brews - much like the incentive Whole Foods offers those who use reusable bags.

And as has been quite vogue in other cities, Brown will employ single pours of coffee, though she's not sure of which method, or methods, her counter space will allow for.

Tea should be available by both the mug and the pot.

Though Brown is from Boca Raton, Fla., she has named Durham her home. She knew after her first year of law school that this was the place for her.

I hope Durham embraces her the same way she has embraced the big ole Bull City.

Respite Café is set to be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Visit respitecafe.com for more details and email Brown at info@respitecafe.com.

Tidbits

Ninth Street Bakery is celebrating a "Booch n' Beer Break-Out Party" from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10 at its location at 136 W. Chapel Hill St.

If you're wondering what Booch is, it's short for kombucha, a fermented tea drink considered by some to impart the health benefits found in probiotics.

There will be live music from Jeremy's Old Time and Pete's Whiskers Celtic Band.

Probiotic saison winter and saison spring kombucha will be available to sample and for purchase. There will also be farmstand pizza, tapas, chocolate desserts, ciders, and other brews for sale.

To celebrate its 17th anniversary, the Carolina Brewery is offering a number of events this week , culminating with a concert from Birds and Arrows Saturday, Feb. 11, tickets $8.

Visit www.carolinabrewery.com/anniversary for details.

The Cornucopia Cancer Support Center will host a silent auction benefiting cancer research and support of patients Sunday, Feb. 12, at "A Chocolate Affaire," where area restaurants will provide decadent desserts in the name of beating cancer.

The event takes place at 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Millennium Hotel in Durham in the Brightleaf Ballroom, the cost is $60 per person. Visit www.cancersupport4u.org/ for details.

If you're looking for something special to do this Valentine's Day, Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours is offering a sweetheart deal for Feb. 14 - a five-stop walking tour of Durham (or Raleigh) that includes dinner, drinks, dessert and chocolate, of course. The price is $62.50 per person, and the tour runs from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. Visit www.tastecarolina.net for details.