Kids Get Roasting with Humphreys Street Coffee

Brian Hicks was craft-roasting coffee in Nashville before craft-roasting coffee in Nashville was cool.

“Back then it was only us and Bongo Java,” Brian says, recalling the origin of Humphreys Street Coffee and Soap in 2007. But today, even with every other café showcasing their own house blends, Brian is still producing one of the best products in Nashville, and doing it with a team of—get this—teenagers.

Yes, teenagers; South Nashville teens come in knowing little to nothing about roasting (or drinking) coffee. For these kids, it’s hard to imagine a better gig. Not only does Humphreys Street provide on-the-job training in making high-quality products, but Brian and his team at Harvest Hands Community Development (Humphreys Street’s umbrella organization) also provide opportunities to meet and learn from Nashville entrepreneurs and professionals, to go on field trips, and to discern their skills and passions under the guidance of devoted mentors.

The best part? It’s working. “I’ve seen what it’s done for people’s lives; it’s actually doing what we wanted it to do,” says Brian, looking proudly over at Ruben Torres, walking proof of the program’s success. Ruben first teamed up with Brian at age 11 just as Humphreys Street was getting started. Now a graduate of Lipscomb University, Ruben has returned to manage the roasting room and mentor new recruits in the art and science that is coffee roasting.

Under Ruben’s seasoned stewardship, today’s Humphreys Street Coffee facility, like the roaster within it, runs like a well-oiled machine. The company operates out of a glistening new building on Old Hermitage Avenue. They have a dedicated roasting room complete with its own tasting kitchen, state-of-the-art grinders and espresso makers, and giant bins of fair trade beans from around the world.

All of this is far and away beyond Harvest Hands’ 2007 expectations. As Brian will tell you, roasting coffee was not even on their radar in the early days. He and his team from Brentwood Methodist Church simply wanted to help their neighbors struggling in the South Nashville community. They reached out and discovered two things: first, that their neighbors loved the tight-knit character of the community, and second, that they feared for their kids getting caught up in street life. In response, Harvest Hands began an after-school program, and welcomed kids ages Pre-K through high school.

Despite their efforts, Brian and his team struggled to attract teens to the program. So, they asked themselves, “What do teens want?” Cash, of course! Following this hunch, they brought in Thistle Farms to train the teen gals how to make and sell soap. When the girls started making money, the boys got jealous. It was at this point that the idea for roasting coffee started, well, percolating.

Brian approached fellow parishioner Cal Turner, whose family founded Dollar General. Cal was intrigued and, after coaching them through writing a business plan, funded the purchase of a Diedrich, A.K.A. the Cadillac of coffee roasters. Cal also sent Brian and a then-14-year-old Ruben to Idaho to learn how to use the machine from Steven Diedrich himself. Shortly thereafter the business started to take off with clientele including local notables like Crema and Dose.

From the beginning, Brian and his team knew that their product would need to be top-of-the-line. Customers, Brian says, might like the company’s mission, but what keeps them coming back is the high-quality coffee.

For Humphreys Street, it’s all in the details. They carefully choose fair trade beans with a variety of flavor profiles and ensure the beans are picked in season to help flavors reach their full potential. Humphreys Street also believes that “fair trade” should extend beyond sourcing. Humphreys Street is a for-profit business driven by high quality, but a big part of that is treating their young employees with dignity and respect. The coffee is fantastic, but the point is and always has been to create opportunities for empowerment. “We sense so much potential for the people in this neighborhood,” says Brian. “If we provide the pathway, people will take the opportunity to be who they’re meant to be…What we believe about coffee we believe about people: be what you’re meant to be.”