Ever since I was a young lad (meaning
since high school five years ago) I have dreamed of running a coffee
shop. Throughout college, I made a local coffee shop in Salt Lake
called Salt
Lake Roasting Company my second home. Countless
hours of studying, amazing conversation, and drinking delicious
goodness were had there. I especially loved knowing that the owner of
the shop was a committed Christian, who loved God and the people from
all around the world where he bought his coffee. When you go to the
coffee shop, you will find pictures of all the travels to all the
coffee farms where the owner has developed personal relationships and
made trip to provided much needed help in the form of physical and
spiritual aid to the communities that work the lands where he buys
his coffee. I always thought it was a beautiful thing.
As I continued through college I
decided to take classes which would help give me a working knowledge
of business, particularly as it applied to being a small business
entrepreneur. Most of my major projects in my business classes
involved scheming business plans to start coffee shops in Hong Kong
or Kona Hawaii. Though the locations and some of the ideas of the
shop have changed, if you were to ask the people who have known me
most in the past five years, or even some people who have only known
me for a short time, they would probably tell you that I have always
dreamed of opening my own coffee business one day.
I love a lot about life. I love
experiencing, I love learning, I love good food. I love my wife and
marriage, I love being stretched and challenged. Three things that I
probably love most in life however, are:
-
God
-
Community (I want to make clear
that I include my wife in this category as well) -
Culture
In that order. When I look at this list
I find that at least in my life, all these categories have been
mutually dependent. To experience community has been to experience
something that is a part of God. To learn about culture has come from
being in community (hopefully) and learning about people who are made
in the image of God. In many ways, I have always seen a coffee shop
as a business that can be heavily involved in all these areas.
I dream of a business that makes a
difference in the life of others just as much or more than it makes a
difference in my own life. One that involves not only creating
community, but rallying a community to live outside itself and serve
a greater cause. I want to connect people to other cultures,
especially those cultures which simply need help, in any form, as
they are impoverished, suffering, and dieing of preventable ailments.
I want to create a place whose heartbeat reflects the heartbeat of
God. Where overcoming injustice, illness, poverty, and suffering take
precedent over the income of the owners. I have noticed
that many
businesses treat the priority of profits and charity as mutually
exclusive; it is either profits or charity. Thus if a business
chooses profits they become only aware of their own needs, and
neglect the greater need of others. On the other hand, if a business
chooses charity, they must either receive outside funding or
government assistance, and they can often be poorly run or treat
their own workers unfairly because they have the excuse of being in
existence only for the cause of others. I wish to see a company that
is both/ and, not either/or. A company whose seeks profits for the
benefit of its employees, its customers, its local community, and the
impoverished global community that makes up most the world.
What is interesting is that I don’t
think I am unique in this dream. I truly believe there is a part of
everyone that simply wants to help other people, that wants to know
other people and be known by other people, and that wants to
experience other cultures that are completely different than their
own. Purpose, intimacy, and knowledge are universal things that
people not only want, but that they need.
So all this is to say that my wife and
I have decided to take steps into realizing this dream. As with
anything, there is a chance of failure. But to me, the risk of
failing is far outweighed by the potential of living out my dreams
and passions, serving those in need, and connecting intimately with a
community. For the last few weeks I have been learning how to roast
coffee and run a coffee shop. Eventually, my friend Brian Babb and I
will buy the coffee shop where I am learning, and create the
community and business we have dreamed of. We will create a space
where people are known and loved, where serving others is placed
before serving ourselves, where the orphan and the widow are grieved
for and taken care of. A business that operates to motivate action
all over the world, simply by buying a cup of coffee. In the end, I
want to live my life in a way that demands an explanation. I want to
live the dreams that I believe God has given me.
For more information specifically about
the coffee shop please go to (www.coffeeinvestment.com).
I can’t even count the conversations I have had with people who have
sharpened the picture of what would make a successful,
transformational, coffee community. I would love to hear your
thoughts, critiques, advice, or dreams. Please do not hesitate to
give feedback or comments to all this whether it be through my blog,
facebook, or via email. Most of all, please keep this venture in your
prayers.
