Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Johnson and Ryan Harlan.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Firelight Coffee was a passion project and our first entrepreneurial pursuit, and our goal from the start was to learn as much as we could and somehow impact people in a positive way. We started by picking up a hot-air popcorn popper from the 1970s (regulations allowed higher wattage machines back then!) and started roasting a handful of coffee at a time. We made some truly bad coffee this way. Soon after, we made some decent coffee. Eventually, we made a batch that was good enough to share, so we shared it with friends and received some good feedback. Looking back, it’s pretty clear that free coffee will elicit good feedback, but nevertheless, we moved forward and tried our hand at some small farmer’s markets where we found some success.
With the vision coming together and pieces falling into place, we bootstrapped our first production roaster and installed it in a warehouse north of Atlanta. We used the next few months to grow our initial accounts and set the course while keeping a low profile. After a year, we moved into the city and started roasting in the Strongbox West co-working space in West Midtown, Atlanta. At the same time, we opened a small tasting room within our roastery so that customers and wholesale clients could try our coffees in a café setting. With this new arm of the business, we went into 2016 with a bigger team and a full roasting schedule. During this time, we honed our roasting skills and our strategic sourcing partnerships, including adding our first direct trade partnership. We also helped other cafes by starting our contract roasting program and helping clients build roasting profiles. Since then, we have held countless tastings, visited dozens of offices, and had coffee with hundreds of people to talk about all the things that make coffee special. We believe in the power of connection between people, with the cup in between as a catalyst.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There are definitely challenges to starting a coffee business, but we tend to be optimistic. The biggest challenges have been business things like cash flow, accounting, managing employees, suppliers, etc. So far, we have not encountered anything that we could not figure out! One time, in particular, we were attempting to have an espresso machine delivered to a new client. A lot of these machines are not made stateside, and this was no exception- it’s coming from Europe with a tight delivery window for our client. On the day of delivery, we were both traveling out of town. When I called to check in with the delivery company, they laughed (seriously), told me it was at their facility, but that it would be delivered for three more days. After panicking for a bit, we called some friends and found someone who was willing to pick up the machine and take it to our client so they could start their business. We learned a lot that day (especially around expectation setting), but looking back we especially remember the people that help us out and make it possible. Without our community and people around us, we would definitely struggle a lot more.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Firelight Coffee – what should we know?
Our company, Firelight Coffee, is a specialty coffee roaster, wholesaler, and retailer. That means we find the best coffees that we can roast them in a modern style to bring out the most flavor from each batch, and sell to individuals, coffee shops, offices, etc. Individuals can buy from our website or in our West Midtown tasting room, and businesses can reach out to us for information about wholesale. Also of note- our cold brew program is up and running too, so you can come try our nitro or still cold brews in the tasting room or at certain markets in the summer. Overall, our vision is to use delicious coffees to bring people together and spark conversations and inspiration.
One of our goals is to be as sustainable as possible and enrich the lives of anyone in our supply chain. To do this, we have recently switched our packaging to the most compostable/renewable coffee bags available on the market, and we are constantly working to find more coffee suppliers that meet our high-quality standards while paying fair wages and enriching communities where coffee is grown. We want to help people flourish from origin to the cup.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are too many people to name, but definitely a big shout out to our significant others who have endured everything from coffee smoke in the house in the early days of roasting to the late nights filling orders. Our friends and community have been so encouraging along the way too, and we couldn’t do it without them. Huge shoutout to our wholesale partners as well for trusting us with their coffee supply, and anyone who has ever ordered from us over the years!
Some special mentions: We learned to roast from the guys at Seeds Coffee in Birmingham AL. They were so generous with their time and information, and really set an example of how to pay it forward. Also to Strongbox West (our current home) who have been amazing partners, and to everyone there that keeps our little tasting room going. Very special mention to Grace Morris who created an “internship program” for herself years ago, and ended up building the business into what it is today. Lastly to our team of baristas and roasters, current and former, who all have played such a huge part in making this company what it is.
Pricing:
- 12oz bags – $13 – $21 online or in-store
- 5lb bags – $80 -$120 online or in-store
- Full drink menu ranging from $1.50 – $5 in-store
Contact Info:
- Address: 1040 West Marietta St NW
- Website: firelightcoffee.com
- Email: contact@firelightcoffee.com
- Instagram: @firelightcoffee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firelightcoffee
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/firelight-coffee-roasters-atlanta?osq=firelight+coffee
Image Credit:
Wild Grain Photography, Ryan Christopher, Andrea Morales / StarChefs
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
