Todd Johnson of West Midtown on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Todd Johnson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Todd, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
At Firelight Coffee, I’m proud of the systems we’ve built behind the scenes that keep everything running smoothly, even though no one ever sees them. From sourcing and transparency to roasting, quality control, and logistics, we’ve spent years fine-tuning our processes to maximize flavor, value, and sustainability. It’s the invisible backbone of what we do, and it makes all the difference.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Todd Johnson, founder of Firelight Coffee Roasters in Atlanta, Georgia. I started Firelight over a decade ago with a simple goal: to make coffee that connects people through quality, sustainability, and shared values. What began as a small project has grown into a roastery serving cafés and customers across the country. We’re a tight-knit team focused on roasting coffees that taste incredible and do good along the way. Quality and sustainability guide everything we do, from working with producers who share our values to building systems that verify transparency and traceability at every step. Today, we’re continuing to grow responsibly, expanding our wholesale partnerships and finding new ways to make sustainable coffee more accessible to everyone.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad taught me the most about work. He didn’t have an exciting job; he worked a desk job at the telephone company, but over time he taught himself the skills to become an engineer of sorts, planning and building out miles of infrastructure. What stood out to me wasn’t the job itself, but his dedication, showing up every day, providing for our family, and steadily building the life he wanted. He’s no longer with us, but the memory of his persistence and work ethic stays with me and continues to shape how I approach my work every day.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
In the life of a small business that’s lasted more than a decade, there have been plenty of moments when I wanted to give up. We’ve faced our share of setbacks, like café partners closing, broken equipment, misrouted coffee shipments, but one moment stands out clearly. A few years ago, I was roasting midweek at our roastery and café in West Midtown when the operator of our shared space came to talk to me. She was in tears as she told me that all tenants had to vacate within three weeks. Suddenly, we had less than a month to find a new home for our 2,000-pound roaster, get it installed, and move thousands of pounds of coffee, furniture, and equipment, all while processing the reality that our café would be closing. It was overwhelming, and for a moment we wondered if it was time to walk away. But we decided to push through, and that decision ended up shaping the future of Firelight. We rebuilt with more resilience, refined our operations, and learned lessons that still guide us today.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the coffee industry is that sustainability is simple. It’s often treated like something you can check off with a certification or a few buzzwords, but in reality it’s complicated and takes ongoing work at every step of the supply chain. Another lie is that good coffee automatically means good practices. You can have a great-tasting cup that hides a lot of problems behind it, like low pay for farmers, poor transparency, or wasteful operations. At Firelight, we try to be honest about those challenges and focus on building real systems that support producers, reduce waste, and make sure our actions match our values. It’s not perfect, but it’s progress, and that’s what we work toward every day.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
The biggest milestones for us are always tied to the people we work with. Some of our most exciting moments have been opening days for our partner cafés, when we get to support their coffee programs and sometimes even jump behind the bar. There’s an incredible energy in seeing their vision come to life and knowing we play a part in it. Other moments come from the sourcing side, when we find the perfect coffee to fill a need or taste something in our cupping lab that completely surprises us. It’s such a rush to then share those coffees and their stories with customers. These are the days that remind me why I love this work. Connecting with people and seeing how great coffee can bring so many stories together never gets old.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://firelightcoffee.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firelightcoffee/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firelight-coffee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firelightcoffee/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@firelightcoffee

Image Credits
Wild Grain Photography