Coastal Coffee Roasters
108
East 3rd North Street
Summerville,
SC 29483
843.376.4559
www.coastalcoffeeroasters.com
Monday
– Wednesday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday
– Saturday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
“Welcome
to the C!” someone calls out before any patron steps off the indoor mat. That practice sums up quite a lot of the
philosophy of Summerville Trolley’s partner, Coastal Coffee Roasters – a coffee
shop that maintains an intentional focus on welcoming all who enter. And for owners Brad and Jacki Mallett,
welcoming all who enter means more than a surface greeting; they want people of
all different backgrounds and ages to feel a part of the community. In addition to serving the freshest cup of
coffee roasted on the premises in Summerville, “We want to foster an atmosphere
that no one stands out, in the sense that everyone is treated equally and feels
a sense of belonging,” Brad Mallett explains.
“We know people’s names; our customers are literally part of the
store.”
That
was apparent when the passengers on the inaugural #DrinkTheVille trolley tour
made a stop at CCR last month. As
everyone sat around the large communal trestle-style table (built by a
customer), they broke challah bread and drank craft beer together. Brad invited everyone to pose for a picture
with the portrait of Bill Murray (painted by a customer) that hangs in the back
of the shop. This is a local trend right now as part of Brad’s campaign to “Bring Bill to Summerville.” CCR is also an occasional stop on the Good Eats
on the Sweet Tea Trail tours. Passengers
might enjoy a cup of Carolina Morning coffee, a glass of tea, or a sweet treat. Each tour has different stops and different
delicious offerings.
While
the #DrinkTheVille tour will choose different establishments each month, CCR
will most likely be a frequent stop. The
atmosphere is just right for a tour with a social flavor.
Mallett
wants to create the “best community-minded business that focuses on
relationships.” “Relationship” is a word
that peppers this owner’s speech. His
business is a part of the Suspended Coffee movement and believes in “paying it
forward.” CCR brings people together to
experience culture and all forms of art that enhance a town. “It’s not just about money,” Mallett
emphasizes, “it’s about creating community.
It’s about being a location for events, for saying, bring us your ideas
and instead of saying no, we’ll say, ‘How?’”
Coastal
Coffee Roasters transfers that local awareness of community onto a larger
scale, selling coffee that is sustainable, organic, fair trade, rainforest
alliance, and bird friendly – and that uses a Swiss water process, to
boot. In other words, the coffee is
procured and processed in ways that responsibly foster and maintain the
integrity of the environment and all the people involved. Coastal Coffee Roasters practices what it preaches
on a smaller scale, too. There are herb
gardens outside, and the rain barrel is used to irrigate. Coffee grounds are recycled to farmers; chaff
goes to landscapers. It is definitely an
integrated approach to business.
Want
to make sure your #SvilleTrolley tour includes a stop at Coastal Coffee
Roasters? Feel free to call the Summerville
Dream office at 843-821-7260 and ask which tours will visit Brad, Jacki, and
the rest of the smiling crew.
Follow
us on Twitter at @SvilleTrolley and find us and like us on Facebook at
Summerville Trolley Tours!
Stats
on Brad Mallett:
|
Birthplace:
Hartford, Connecticut, raised in Maine
Family:
Wife (a New Yorker) and 3 children
Hobbies:
Art, travel, anything with water
Favorite
Teams: Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees
Something
He Can’t Do Without: People
Summerville
Shout-Out: Coastal Coffee Roasters and Sculpture in the South
|
Written
by Linda Eisenstadt and Perrin Conrad
