Tag: Grind City Coffee

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Grind City Coffee Xpo Returns Saturday

Dr. Beans (Courtesy Grind City Coffee Xpo)

The Grind City Coffee Xpo roars back to life this Saturday at Wiseacre Downtown from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The aromatic event was founded in 2019 by Daniel Lynn and Rachel Williams, who saw a need in Memphis for a day to celebrate all things coffee. The event is designed to be inclusive and educational, featuring local coffee shops, roasters, and food vendors; attendees will experience an array of coffee techniques and styles. Lynn and Williams say that the Coffee Xpo’s core mission is one of “community over competition.” 

After a pandemic hiatus in 2020, the Xpo’s return will feature around a dozen coffee and tea vendors from Memphis and beyond. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about beverage technique (from pour-overs to latte art) and sample the end products. Local coffeehouse-meets-pottery-studio Belltower Artisans will provide sampling mugs. 

Co-organizer Lynn said, “Being able to bring the Xpo back this year means so much to us! The last year and a half have been so hard for so many small businesses, and the coffee community is no different. It is so important for us to be able to show Memphis how amazing the people in that world are, and to be able to help them share their passion. Every time we talk to any of our coffee friends, we are reminded of how kind and community-driven they are. Everyone just wants to help each other and be good humans.”

Proceeds from the Grind City Coffee Xpo will benefit Protect Our Aquifer, because, as the organizers note, “You can’t have great coffee without great water.” Additional information and tickets are available at grindcitycoffee.com.

Tasting card (Courtesy Grind City Coffee Xpo)
Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Grind City Coffee Xpo Returns

CREDIT: Grind City Coffee Xpo

Grind City Coffee Xpo

Grind City Coffee Xpo is back for its second year and promises to be even “bigger and more caffeinated” than last year. All proceeds will benefit Protect Our Aquifer.

The first Grind City Coffee Xpo was held in 2019 and hosted eight Memphis-based coffee shops and roasters and four coffee-centric food vendors. It drew more than 500 attendees.

“A huge difference between this year and 2019 is the inclusion of coffee professionals from outside of Memphis,” says Daniel Lynn, co-founder of Grind City Coffee Xpo along with Rachel Williams.

“We wanted to expand our community to others outside our wonderful city and have been amazed at the incredible response we have had from them,” he says.

“We have people coming from Nashville, Chattanooga, and Milwaukee to participate in this year’s expo. We can’t wait to share with them what Memphis has to offer and to introduce Memphians to some truly amazing people from elsewhere in the coffee community. That’s what it’s about. Growing our community.”

The expo will have three tiers for entry: 10 a.m. for $35, 11:30 a.m. for $25; or 12:30 p.m. for $20, and it’s happening on Saturday, March 14th, at the Pipkin Building at the fairgrounds. This year they will host more than 20 vendors and feature coffee and cocktail demonstrations from four pairs of baristas and bartenders, live music, three panel discussions led by industry professionals, and so much more.

Grind City Coffee’s mission is to celebrate the culture in and around coffee by providing an inclusive environment for everyone who fosters community over competition through educational, social, and craft events.

The Grind City Coffee Xpo will be held March 14th at the fairgrounds’ Pipkin Building (940 Early Maxwell) from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Learn more and get your tickets here: grindcitycoffee.com.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Grind City Coffee Hosts Caffeine Crawl this Weekend

CREDIT: Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Grind City Coffee is bringing Caffeine Crawl to Memphis on Saturday, November 16th, with three caffeinated routes.

Caffeine Crawl is designed to be a fun, educational, pub-style crawl from venue to venue that allows participants to taste, learn, and talk about different kinds of coffee with like-minded java enthusiasts. Stops on the crawl include Dr. Beans at Puck Food Hall, Comeback Coffee, Vice and Virtue, INSPIRE Community Cafe, and Ugly Mug Coffee, among many others.

“I think this is going to showcase that Memphis is more than just Beale and barbecue,” says Rachel Williams, co-founder of Grind City Coffee. “We are growing a lot. We have a lot to offer.”

Williams explains that not everyone is aware of the coffee scene in Memphis, and Grind City Coffee is trying to change that through events like Caffeine Crawl and Grind City Coffee Expo.

“A lot of people sometimes get a little nervous to kind of step out of their comfort zone,” she says. “So being able to have something more approachable that’s introducing people to this, whether it be through a caffeine crawl or through the [Grind City Coffee] expo, there’s something for everybody.”

Co-founders of Grind City Coffee, Daniel Lynn and Rachel Williams, love to promote a “community over competition” mentality when it comes to showcasing and celebrating local coffee spots.

“This is just another example of that,” Lynn says. “Plus, you know, people like to have non-alcoholic alternatives sometimes, so this provides that as well.”

Williams and Lynn see an opportunity for more and more people to get involved in local coffee culture, so bringing Caffeine Crawl to Memphis was a natural next step for Grind City Coffee in serving that mission.

“Every time I look on social media, there’s another home roaster or coffee shop. So, it’s fantastic to see all the growth,” Lynn says. “But that’s also what we’re hoping for this as well as other events to keep putting the voice out there about what we have right here in Memphis.”

Tickets are currently on sale at caffeinecrawl.com.