Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin Hunter and Nick Lopez.
Back in college Devin was really into pour over coffee and earned the nickname of “Coffee Man.” He tried to start a cold brew coffee company on his own without much success.
Nick had been brewing kombucha and playing around with different flavors and recipes for quite a while. After college we started working together and decided to experiment further with cold brew.
We would have tastings every morning in the break room at our office. Some of our flavors were a hit with coworkers… some of them were definitely not to say the least.
We officially founded Coffee Man Cold Brew in late 2018 and committed to create a totally new type of cold brew based on the phrase “Think Differently. Brew Differently.”
Why did we do this? What was the cold brew coffee industry missing?
Well we noticed a lot of cold brew was too strong and that people were forced to add cream and sugar. We also didn’t see any unique or interesting flavors like you do with craft beer and kombucha.
This pushed us to make our cold brew coffee with fruits, spices, and direct trade coffee to create funky fresh flavors like pineapple coconut and raspberry lime.
In early 2019, we applied to around nine farmer’s markets in Atlanta but didn’t get into any unfortunately. At first, we were discouraged, but this setback pushed us to think outside the box.
This led to the creation of our “Cold Brew Bags” that we are currently selling online. These are DIY kits that allow you to make our unique flavors of cold brew coffee at home or work.
This also led to a few events that we participated in called In Good Company hosted by Citizen Supply at Ponce City Market. We also were able to do an event at one of Atlanta’s best breweries Orpheus Brewing.
We’re excited about 2020 and what it might hold. Some of our goals include attending local farmers markets and introducing our flavored cold brew coffees on nitro.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely not been a smooth road to say the least. We struggled to understand permits relating to the food and beverage industry.
We also applied to 9 farmers markets in the Atlanta area in 2019. Unfortunately, we did not get into any of these markets, but we learned a lot along the way. We did not have enough marketing materials or brand awareness to at that time to put us on the map.
Thankfully, we’ve had a few mentors along the way that have helped us get the right permits and encouraged us to keep going. Huge Shoutout to the UGA Small Business Development Center & Irwin Street Community Kitchens.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Coffee Man Cold Brew is about creating a craft cold brew movement.
We specialize in creating unique and experimental flavors of cold brew coffee like pineapple coconut and lavender vanilla. This sets us apart and makes us unique from all the other cold brew coffee companies out there.
We also brew our cold brew with direct trade coffee in order to support farmers and pay them a livable wage. We believe coffee has a lot of power and we want to ensure our drinks are making the world a better place.
We’re most proud of our slogan “Think Differently, Brew Differently” because this affects both the way we do business and brew our coffee. Our goal is do things the right way and to create an environment that fosters creativity and always stays open to new ideas.
What were you like growing up?
Devin was involved in sports including football and cross country. He was also homeschooled and enjoyed learning Spanish and studying Math.
Nick was always interested in exploring his creativity including baking, cooking, brewing, and just creating in general. He played baseball, soccer, and enjoyed learning a little bit about everything.
Pricing:
- DIY Cold Brew Bags – $21 online ($4 shipping to some States)
- Think Differently Brew Differently T-Shirts – $20
Contact Info:
- Address: 660 Irwin Street NE Atlanta, GA 30312
- Website: https://www.coffeemancoldbrew.com/
- Email: info@coffeemancoldbrew.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffeemancoldbrew/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coffeemancoldbrew/
Image Credit:
Adair Kucera, Nick Lopez
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