Six years… we’ve been around for SIX. YEARS. Can you believe it? We certainly can’t! I guess the saying “Time flies when you’re having fun!” is true because time certainly has flown. It feels like just yesterday we bought an old HV/AC warehouse/office and turned it into a coffee roastery. The journey to where we are now has been nothing short of extraordinary. Never in our wildest dreams could we have dreamed up our current situation. This past year has completely changed our business and it’s all because of you and your support. We have accomplished so much, but here are a few highlights:

 

Barbie - Our Best-Selling Drink

We are still saying “Hi Barbie! Hi Ken!” around the café and it’s been almost a year since the Barbie movie came out. We were (and still are) completely floored by the love you all showed for our Barbie Box and Gorge-alicious Latte. When we heard our favorite pink doll was hitting the big screen, we knew we had to do something! Thus, the Barbie Box and Gorge-alicious Latte were born. In case you weren’t around during this monumental time in history, picture this: in front of the second warehouse door stood a 9-foot recreation of a Barbie Box built for the perfect photo op. To the right of that is a line out the door of people all dressed up in their pink and purple ‘fits to grab a hot pink strawberry shortcake latte on their way to the theaters. For weeks, the café looked like the color pink had thrown up everywhere… and we LOVED it!!

The Barbie celebration was one of our top highlights this year. Putting together the Barbie Box was a challenge, but we’re so happy with how it turned out! To this day, we get questions about when we’ll do it again. The answer: we’re not sure… but maybe if there’s a Bratz movie?

Our Makeover

This year, Alma got a Home Network style makeover. In case you missed it or forgot, we built a brand new training lab, added fresh tiling to the café bar, AND our very own Paula Krauss painted a stunning mural on the side of the new training lab. Talk about Extreme Makeover: Café Edition! Ty Pennington would be so proud of what we’ve done with the place!

If you remember from our very first “Open with me” reel, the training lab used to be a tiny room in the corner of the roastery. As we started to get more people coming into the café, we quickly realized we had outgrown that space. We began coming up with the concept for the new training lab halfway through 2023, and by the end of the year, we had already begun creating the new space. With help from or friends at  Woodcraft South, Service Wise Electric, David Winn Plumbing, Southern Craft Remodeling, Beidler Interiors, and Southern Air Pros, we built our dream training lab. The training lab is an incredible space and has quickly become one of our favorite spots in the roastery. We use the space for training (obviously), making syrups, making our morning cups of coffee, and holding our weekly meetings. The training lab has become essential to our business. Huge thanks to everyone who made this space possible and brought our dreams to fruition. 

We also revamped our café bar with new blue and white tiling, complete with a stunning blue grout that adds an extra little sparkle tying it all together. We chose blue tiling with a white line along the bottom to serve as a nod to our Honduran roots. Incorporating something into the café to honor our family farms in Honduras was very important to us when conceptualizing the remodel. Beidler Interiors was essential to creating the perfect space and finding the exact tile we wanted. Now, every time you come into the café, you’ll be reminded of who we are and where we came from.

Upon walking into the café, you can now expect to be immediately met with a stunning piece of work. That is the artistry of our very own Paula Krauss. Late last year, we commissioned her to paint a mural on the training lab wall facing the front of the café. We gave her full reign to come up with the concept for the mural, and she did not fail to impress. The mural follows the journey of a coffee bean from flower to cherry. She perfectly captured the message of our business: coffee is not just coffee, it’s a process. If you ever need a custom painting, huge mural, or anything in between, Paula is your go-to girl (@majesticpaula.art).

 

Our New Espresso Machine (Strada S)

Speaking of upgrades… we got a brand-new espresso machine in the café. And not just any machine—we got the FIRST La Marzocco Strada S in Georgia! This machine is next-level. The Strada S features pro touch steam wands, programmable doses, and independent saturated boilers. For all the coffee nerds out there, you know how amazing this is! These features make it a whole lot easier and a whole lot quicker to create an extraordinary beverage.  

We’ve noticed a huge difference in how easy it is to pull espresso and steam milk. The Strada S pulls perfect shots every. single. time. We are so excited about all the opportunities this machine has created. Our baristas are more creative than ever, and the steam wands make perfect milk density for us to create beautiful latte art. The Strada S was designed by and for baristas, and trust me when I say this: it has been a complete and total game-changer in the café.

 

Best Coffee Shop in Cherokee County

In 2023, we were named the best coffee shop in all of Cherokee County… WHAT?! We are beyond grateful to hold this title. But we didn’t win this alone—it’s thanks to amazing people like you who love our coffee and support us. YOU are why we’re the best coffee shop in Cherokee County. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for taking a chance on our small business and helping us grow. Your support means the world to us, and we’re honored to serve such a wonderful community. Every cup of coffee you purchase, every kind word you share, and every visit to our shop has played a part in this achievement.

We could go on for pages about how thankful we are, but I’ll sum it up with this: you’ve absolutely changed our lives. Your belief in us fuels our passion and drives us to be the best we can be. Thank you for being a part of our journey and for making our dream a reality.

We look forward to serving you for many more years to come. Thank you.

 

10,000 Followers on Instagram

10,000 followers. TEN THOUSAND FOLLOWERS!! Move over, Kylie Jenner. We’re completely blown away. 10,000 people know who we are, and more than that, 10,000 people care about us! Absolutely insane! We know our coffee is extraordinary and our content is amazing, but having 10,000 people agree? Talk about an ego boost! But we’re staying true to our roots. We started as a humble small business, and that’s how we’ll stay. Our business is about our community and creating extraordinary, sustainable, freshly roasted coffee for everyone to enjoy. While followers and social media are amazing, our main mission is providing extraordinary coffee to you!

 

School Built at Finca Terrerito

Here’s what we’re most proud of accomplishing this past year: the school at Finca Terrerito. In partnership with Matiak Foundation, we were able to build Escuela Rural Mixta Terrerito Matiak Foundation on our family farm in Honduras. The mission behind this school is to improve the lives of the children on and around the farm. Education isn’t easily accessible in Honduras like it is here in the states, but we want to change that! We believe every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and pursue their dreams. The school is just the beginning of what we plan to do. We're committed to making a lasting difference in our Honduran community and providing opportunities that will empower the next generations to come.

To learn more about our journey and future plans, check out our blog: School is in Session

 

As we look back on an incredible year filled with growth, exciting changes, and overwhelming support from our amazing community, we’re filled with gratitude and excitement for the future. Every step we’ve taken, every project we’ve completed, and every cup of coffee we’ve brewed has been made possible by you. Thank you for being a part of our journey and for helping us create something truly special. Here’s to more great memories, delicious coffee, and continued success together. Cheers to what’s next!