Grind City Coffee Expo takes place Saturday, March 9th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Memphis College of Art's Rust Hall. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Protect Our Aquifer.
The offices of this magazine were, until January 2018, housed in a former warehouse on Tennessee Street, across from the Tennessee Brewery and South Bluffs. And that warehouse, as it happens, had been in the early 1900s a hub for the distribution of coffee and other fine-smelling things (spices and extracts), plus supplies for soda fountains. I didn't work for Memphis magazine until just after the move — I managed to start, in fact, one week after, la di da, missing all the chaos of picking up 35 years' worth of sticks — but had occasion to visit a few times. That the place smelled like coffee every time I walked through the doors likely had more to do with the writers and editors jittering away than with the coffee beans that had cycled through a century before, but I liked to imagine that the ceiling beams and worn bricks had absorbed enough airborne arabica over the years that old 460 Tennessee was permanently perfumed, and a little amped itself.
We don't work in an old coffee warehouse anymore, but this place still runs on coffee. So when Daniel Lynn reached out to the Memphis Flyer (our sister publication) about a coffee-centric event he envisioned, we were happy to hear more about his concept and to get involved along the way.
Billed as Memphis' first coffee-centric event, the organizers hope Grind City Coffee Expo will become an annual occurrence. The buzz will kick in on Saturday, March 9th. Daniel and his business partner, Rachel Williams, see the event as a venue for coffee enthusiasts to gather as well as a forum for the coffee-curious to learn more about roasters' processes and products. The local coffee scene is — I'm sorry — abuzz with activity, yet Daniel saw that there was no local coffee event to complement the beer, spirits, and food events that have taken hold here in recent years.
We caught up with Daniel and Rachel recently as they gear up for the Expo. They each shared a bit about what led them to start this event, and what they hope it will accomplish.
Daniel says...
A little over a year ago, I was at the Science of Beer event at the Pink Palace, and I thought, this would be awesome if it was about coffee. So I started talking to friends as well as a couple of local roasters and shops to see what they thought. They were very excited and supportive of the concept. It turns out there are a ton of coffee-based events around the country and even the world — so why not in Memphis. The coffee culture here has really exploded over the past five years. It’s really amazing.
"You can't have great coffee without great water."
I reconnected with Rachel sometime in the very early stages of bringing the concept together, and found out she had a similar love for coffee, as well as she works for a nonprofit coffee roaster in Clarksdale, Mississippi called Meraki. So I found my partner-in-crime for the Expo. The support and passion from the Memphis coffee community have been truly incredible. Everyone we have connected with through the Expo has been wonderful. Such a positive experience.
Our goals for the Expo are to bring together the Memphis coffee community under one neutral, roof to be able to show all Memphians what incredible options this city has to offer by way of coffee. The Expo is meant to be fun and educational as well. We want to make the coffee preparation process very approachable so that guests will be able to take what they learned at the GCCE home with them and make a great cup of coffee with some great beans. What makes the Expo even better is that all the money from tickets sold at the event go straight to Protect Our Aquifer. You can't have great coffee without great water.
Daniel Lynn
This is such a passion project for me. I love coffee and, selfishly, I wanted to throw an event that I would want to attend. But it has become something much bigger than that. I want to be able to spread the love and knowledge that I have been shown in organizing the Grind City Coffee Expo by the wonderful people in the Memphis coffee world.
Rachel says...
Daniel actually initially approached me with the idea of putting something together. He attended the Science of Beer and loved the in-depth, hands-on aspect. He also knew how much I loved coffee, and I’m a pretty inquisitive person myself, tending to nerd out on certain topics. That's where my love of coffee came in. Having a background in food service and event management, along with Daniel's background in food service, made bringing this to life a lot easier than we planned. We both saw a need and have a passion for this city, so we said, why not here? Outside of regional competitions, one of the closest coffee-centric events in the Southeast is in Charlotte, North Carolina. That surprised me but really told me that we have something here.
Rachel Williams
The entire process has been pretty surreal. I thought people would respond well to the idea of an event like this but the outpouring of people wanting to be involved and supporting us has been unlike anything I could’ve imagined. There truly is a want and need for this coming together of a growing coffee community.
I feel like our wants and goals for this event have been pretty simple and have stayed the same. We wanted to be able to support something bigger than ourselves: our aquifer, our coffee, our Memphians. We want to showcase our city but also bring the best parts that help us grow while keeping our Memphis style. With this event, we’ve met the coffee OGs of the city to new businesses that are really making their mark here. It’s been very exciting to see so much growth and engagement. We would like to continue and grow this event — look for us again next year!
Early-bird tickets to Grind City Coffee Expo can be purchased for $30 through February 28, and include coffee samples, demos, food samples, and a tasting mug from Belltower Artisans. After February 28, tickets will cost $35. www.grindcitycoffee.com
