I took $100 and bought a camping stove, a couple of Whirley Pops, and some raw, green coffee from a local coffee shop. It was 2012 and I was dabbling in an interest I had, something outside of my teaching career and outside of my social life. Something that allowed me to use my creativity and stretch my abilities. It was fun to share my new home hobby with my friends and family.
January of 2014 my second child was born. My wife kindly informed me that our 3rd bedroom was better off as a nursery than a coffee roasting storage room. I was "forced" out of my house, which was the best thing that could have happened. Little did I know that those pounds of coffee I was roasting would be a catalyst to life change. Life change for me, for my family/friends, for some neighbors, for our community, and hopefully for Enderly Park.
As we move into 2018 I am seeing our dream come into fruition. Our dream of using our company to create job opportunity, along with mentorship, for neighbors. Our dream of having people all around our city enjoy our coffee and being able to directly impact lives and our quiet neighborhood of Enderly Park. Our dream of creating a PLACE in Enderly Park FOR the community, with our coffee shop opening right on Tuckaseegee Rd.
2017 has been an emotional New Year. 2018 will be even better.
Coming soon to 2018
1) Achievements For Our Neighbors - Our "WHY". We are committed to our mission statement, "We exist to provide opportunity through relationships in order to add value to Enderly Park and Charlotte. We seek to encourage and inspire others to live for others. It is the best way to live. We promise."
- Over 1000 hrs of Employment Hours provided
- 12 College Courses Successfully Completed
- First Car purchased
- Continuing to develop life skills through mentorship
- Continue to Support Project 658 Feeding Project's Effort
- Assisted various organizations (PTA, boy scouts, orchestras, etc.) fundraise and earn the money needed to operate.
- Weekly donations for Harvest Center breakfasts
2) Achievements As a Company in 2017
- 25,000 lbs of coffee roasted and distributed
- Developed our Espresso Program, servicing, supporting, and training clients around town
- Developed our Equipment Support Program, servicing and supporting clients around town
- Grew from 3 Employees to 6 Employees
3) Personal Achievements - The Specialty Coffee Industry has a community and education platform, called the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association). Tony has spent countless hours in classes and studying to earn the following certifications.
- SCA Certified Roaster
- SCA Certified Barista
Shoutouts - We could not do this alone, so we wanted to shout out to the supportive nature of many in our amazing industry. There are many more, but here are a few individuals who have had an impact on our company in 2017.
- Todd Arnette - Williamsburg Coffee & Academy of Excellence - Todd was our instructor for the SCA Roaster courses at his campus in Williamsburg, VA. He has always made himself available for question/answers and support.
- Rachel Garret - Irving Farm Coffee Roasters - Rachel was our instructor at Irving Farm Coffee's SCA training campus in New York. Super helpful and productive learning experience.
- Dillon WIlliams - Homecoming Coffee Tour & Queen City Grounds - For years, Dillon has always been a brain and palate when we are looking for feedback. His passion is exuberant and he has been helpful in so many ways to our team.
- Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp - Dianamakescoffee & Undercurrent Coffee - Diana has helped to form and organize the Charlotte Coffee Collective. Indirectly this collective and its events have been amazingly helpful for our team. We look forward to getting more involved in the future. Directly, Diana has also always been willing to spend time over coffee or at my shop, dreaming with us and challenging us.
- Ian Kolb - Cuplux Coffee Drive-Thru - Ian has the true community heart, also helping manage the Charlotte Coffee Collective, and has been a bouncing board for ideas and new coffees. His honest and supportive demeanor has contributed to our success these past few years. He also passionately helps our city to be a more beautiful place through Trees Charlotte.
- Matt Yarmy - Pure Intentions Coffee - Roasting in the same city could be purely competitive, but Matt has always been willing to jump on the phone to chat/suggest/encourage. Matt has contributed so much to Charlotte's Coffee Community, also helping with the Charlotte Coffee Collective.
- James Yoder - Not Just Coffee - Apart from the deliciousness that Not Just Coffee provides for our city, James has made himself available countless times over the past year as we venture into opening our own coffee shop. Thank you!
