Many coffee companies started small. Before they were a multi-national entity, Blue Bottle for instance got their start at a local farmer’s market. It is an origin story not uncommon in the specialty coffee world, but our next entry into the Build-Outs of Summer has a twist. Lynchburg, Virginia’s Golf Park Coffee started out like many others, selling coffee at local community events, but unlike others, Golf Park only served cold brew.
That’s all changed now, though, with the opening of their brand new brick-and-mortar cafe and full service coffee bar. You will of course still be able to get cold brew, but now Golf Park is offering espresso drinks and filter options courtesy of Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Company, themselves a Build-Outs alum. So let’s head down to Kentucky to check in (and maybe slam a cold brew or two for old time’s sake) on the new Gold Park Coffee in Lynchburg.
As told to Sprudge by Carl Arvidson.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
We started Golf Park back in 2014 as a pop-up cold brew company. Over the past four years we have been a part of many local events—music festivals, holiday markets, weddings, and other private functions. In 2016, we had the opportunity to compete for a grant that the City of Lynchburg was offering—and we were awarded some money to expand our business. We used that money to purchase our cold brew trike. The trike is now a staple at our local community market each Saturday morning and we love using it around town.
We didn’t think opening a shop was the right move for us during the first few years. We wanted to focus on our pop-up coffee service and get to know our community in a way that enabled us to be mobile. Our plans changed, as they often do, when we were presented with the space that we are moving into and we feel really good about the direction we’re headed with our brick and mortar.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
The new space is located inside the Bedford Exchange, a 33,000-square-foot business incubator, just off of Lynchburg’s popular Rivermont Ave. The opportunity to be a part of the revitalization of Bedford Avenue is something we are really looking forward to. Serving the Lynchburg community in a new space that encourages collaboration and the flow of ideas seems like the perfect spot for us to be.
We were drawn to this location because of the natural light—it’s basically all windows. The bright, open space pairs well with our minimalistic design scheme. Creating a space that fosters community is super important to us. The room is anchored by a 10ft-long community table—perfect for conducting business, working solo, or meeting new people. The perimeter of the shop features a wrap-around window bar that overlooks the street.
What’s your approach to coffee?
Our approach to coffee is pretty simple—we brew what we like. We try our best to stay out of the way of the coffee itself. Our cold brew is best enjoyed straight up over ice so you can really get a feel for the complex, rich flavors of the beans we use. It’s our goal to do the same with our full-service coffee bar.
Over the past four years, we have been working with Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Company, based in Richmond, VA. We’ve developed a great relationship with their team and regularly consult with them for our offerings—these guys know their coffee and we respect what they are doing in the coffee industry in Virginia and beyond. Blanchard’s honors each coffee’s story with a commitment to sustainability in the global coffee community through responsible sourcing, stewardship, and thoughtful roasting.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
We are going to be working with a La Marzocco Linea EE and a Mahlkönig K30 for our espresso program. We will offer a house blend drip coffee as well as an ever changing single origin option.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
Our current target opening date is July 6
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
We’ve been really lucky to basically have our entire shop built by our friends. It’s been one of the most special things to experience. Seeing people become as excited as we are about our new location has been extremely humbling and so cool to watch. Our community is full of talented craftspeople and we’ve been so lucky to tap into their expertise on this venture.
Daryl Calfee, one of the owners of the Bedford Exchange, has played an instrumental role in helping us get to this point and we are so grateful for his guidance and support.
Thank you!
Thank you!!!
The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.
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