It starts as a crimson berry on a flowering shrub, with roots that extend down into rich, organic soil. The coffee cherry is harvested, washed & dried, and shipped all over the globe, supplying our favorite cafes and coffee shops with tiny, miraculous beans that transform our mornings from mundane to enchanting.
From preferring tea in the early days of America’s colonization, to now proudly consuming over 140 billion cups per year, this dark and bold beverage is continuously changing how we live. Though some coffee drinkers gulp down serving after serving solely for the caffeine content, the act of coffee has become meaningful and significant.
Brian Maynard, Owner of Forte Coffee, has offered insight into what it’s like at his coffee shop and their three locations. “Forte Coffee takes a very unpretentious approach to coffee. We believe coffee is a cup of love; there is a ritual and a comfort in a cup,” Brian says. “Our customers return because we have been providing a great product, not just with our coffee and preparation, but with our staff. We deliberately hire employees who are empathetic, and really care about our customers’ experience.”
Their customer base differs a bit by each location: one is trafficked heavily by locals, one is mostly visitors, and the third is a balanced blend of the two. “One thing they all have in common is a love and knowledge of coffee. Even among visitors, we have developed a following, and we have quickly become a tradition for travelers in Southwest Michigan,” he tells us.
Coffee breaks, introduced into the workforce to allow employees a short rest during an eight hour work day, have since grown into those fifteen (or thirty, or sixty) glorious minutes where we can sit and savor a cup. Alone in silent contemplation or with a friend, coffee warms us through, in the brutal winter days of the Midwest, and squashes the heat in midsummer when we opt for cold brew or anything iced.
We have generally evolved from your grandmother’s percolator as a popular brewing method, though some people still prefer it, and in many coffee shops you’ll find pour-over stations, french press, americano, and of course, pumpkin spice. Behind us are the days of relying on pre-ground cans from the grocery store, as more and more small batch roasters enter the scene. High quality beans are here to stay.
Full Circle Cafe & Espresso Bar in Stevensville serves coffee roasted by Infusco Coffee Roasters. “We decided early on, before opening our Café, that we would partner with businesses whose values aligned with ours, while keeping it close to home,” says Jayme Bendoski, Owner of Full Circle Cafe. “When we met with the Infusco team, we immediately connected, as they were also a new business. The coffee tasted better than any other local brands we’d tried, and they were invested in our success.”
Infusco of Sawyer has carefully crafted the Full Circle signature blend for their drip coffee, and they provide the espresso and cold brew as well. “Our most popular beverage is our Mocha Latte, and I think the key to ensuring we have return customers is getting it right the first time. And that doesn’t just mean the coffee: I believe our genuinely kind customer service, and our dedication to exceeding expectations keeps people coming back,” says Jayme.
Whether your favorite brew is micro-roasted the day you order a pound, or commercially macro-roasted and sold in stores across the world, what coffee drinkers have in common with each other is the relationships we have formed in this caffeinated coffee world. Coffee house owner to small coffee farmer, barista to customer, third shift laborer to weekend tourist: the act of coffee isn’t just physically ordering a beverage, it is the experience each cup offers us.
As you step through the doors of your favorite cafe, time seems to pause. You are suspended in the aroma of light and dark roasts, melted chocolate, cinnamon. A grandmother and her young grandson giggle at the whipped cream mustaches their drinks have lent them. The customer in front of you in line ends his phone call so as to not be rude to the barista, and a woman at the table by herself doesn’t even notice she closes her eyes before every sip of her steamy latte.
The time we spend drinking coffee has become routine for us, but in a reverent way. We are supporting local business owners in their coffee shops, cafes, roasteries, and farms in the bean belt, all while procuring our daily, and much appreciated, sustenance.
On National Coffee Day, Thursday, September 29th, enjoy a cup, or three, from whichever provider of liquid gold you prefer. Southwest Michigan is filled to the brim with places that have perfected their coffee experience. That new coffee shop on the corner is excited for your patronage, and the drive-through spot looks forward to your daily interactions. Remember that first sip, just one tiny second of your day, means so much more.
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor
