A Georgia coffee brand that recently opened a brick-and-mortar cafe is considering another location in Buford – and maybe more.
The new venture from local coffee importer and roaster Phoenix Roasters had its grand opening at 2640 Old Peachtree Rd NW in Duluth on Aug. 14, 2023, with an innovative double drive-through concept: an express lane for quick orders (the shop has 20 drinks they can pour in under 20 seconds) and one for more involved drinks.
“When our parking lot coffee guy takes your order, you’re assigned a line based on an express order or complicated,” Phoenix Roasters founder Brian Holland told What Now Atlanta.
But, he notes, “We like complicated orders.”
Think along the lines of a latte, cappuccino or anything with steamed milk. An express-lane order would be something like a quick cold brew.
Phoenix Roasters has been importing and roasting coffee since 2010. The company purchases top-ranked coffee directly from farmers, allowing the farmers to earn maximum compensation for their product. The “Phoenix” in the name refers to the immortal bird of ancient mythology that was said to have risen from ashes.
Like many companies in 2020, Phoenix Roasters had to quickly adapt to the coronavirus pandemic after losing a massive source of their business basically overnight, Holland said.
“Eighty-five percent of our business was catering or wholesale,” he said. “If you didn’t have a drive-through, you shut down. As a coffee company, we had nobody to sell to. We became a retailer. We bolstered our e-commerce online. We created new products, delivered to homes.”
The following spring is when the idea struck to open a coffee shop with the tagline “Coffee That Matters.”
The shop is primarily focused on coffee, but they partner with Diletto Bakery in Gainesville to offer some baked goods, like pastries and sweet and savory breads.
Phoenix Roasters is looking to open another cafe in Buford, as well as a location in South Walton Beach, Florida. They also launched a non-profit, Phoenix Roasters Foundation, to further support farmers and their communities. Opening more cafes allows them to further their goals and mission, Holland said.
“We need to sell the coffee so we can buy the coffee,” he said.
