Trvl Love Koffee has had an eventful year, and the purposeful business shows no signs of slowing down. The company, which is run by Anita Craig and Chauncey Moore, has become an important cornerstone at the Woodlawn Marketplace which also features incredible businesses including Pearl’s Cafe and multiple clothing and useful item vendors that have been featured at the famous Woodlawn Street Market in the past. The coffee shop is open 7am to 3pm from Wednesday through Saturday and is currently open on Sundays for the holiday season as well.
Anita and Chauncey had not always envisioned themselves as coffee entrepreneurs. Moore owns a clothing company and enjoys a daily iced coffee, and Craig had experience running a business through a screen print company she operated with her sister. Anita moved to Florence for a job opportunity that was soon shut down due to COVID and started talking to Chauncey, who lives in Athens, about potential business ideas outside of the world of clothing. The first thought was baked goods served alongside premium coffee. “Then I realized I don’t like to bake so that went out the window,” Anita laughs.
The decision was made to focus on coffee, but that was still among the first of many steps to finding Trvl Love’s true identity. “How we started is definitely not who we are now. We started with flavored coffee. We were using a white-label concept. Now we’re roasting and working with our own private roaster. Purchasing our beans directly from importers and farmers, and being very fair trade. Wouldn’t even think about carrying a flavored coffee now that we know how it’s processed,” the roasters share, “We’re becoming more intentional about the space we occupy in coffee. Coffee is one of the most over-processed products in the food and beverage industry, so we try to keep a very minimalist approach. We don’t disturb our beans. We don’t alter it. We find coffees that have natural flavors that we can extract and pull out. Just being very intentional in our journey and being very vocal about the grievances that we have with the coffee industry. Insuring that farmers have a fair wage.”
Trvl Love first started selling coffee through pop-ups, starting with a 2021 Mother’s Day event at Cahaba Brewing then routine appearances at the Woodlawn Street Market. They went on to do about 300 popups over the next year and made an important shift to more natural flavors instead of artificially-flavored coffee. The partners soon asked Bekah Fox with the Woodlawn Street Market about a commissary space who then introduced them to REV Birmingham who shared an opportunity that was too good to pass up - a shared community space.
“You got coffee, food, and some retail but it’s all very cohesive like one shopping experience,” Anita shares, “That works for us because we believe in small businesses and community, and we believe that coffee can be the catalyst to build community.” The business owners understand that coffee shops can often be one of the first signs of gentrification, and work hard to ensure that their presence uplifts the community around them. “One of our goals and mission is to be a haven for people that are marginalized and overlooked and let them know that there is a place for them in coffee. There is a place for them in our shop.” Fairtrade, plastic minimization, and donating 5% of year-end profits have also emerged as top priorities for the company.
Another major focus is introducing people to coffees from countries that they may not have experienced before. Trvl Love primarily highlights Indonesian and African coffees including favorites from Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, and more. “We want the coffee to tell you a story and take you on an adventure,” they share, “Kind of a path towards an awakening. You’d be amazed how many people say ‘Oh I didn’t know they have coffee in Ethiopia.’ We wouldn’t have coffee in the world at all if it wasn’t for Ethiopia - that’s where coffee started.” Shop flavors are named after sky-piercing mountains and famous Rwandan queens - each inviting the coffee sipper on an educational journey to other continents.
The brand name, which is partially inspired by Chauncey’s Trvl Era clothing company and Trvl Love Culture slogan, encourages people to use the diverse coffee as a passport to the world. “You’re an adventurer so this is our coffee for you,” Anita shares, “Stop looking at the world in a jar and view it for what it is. It’s a beautiful, diverse thing and coffee can take you on a beautiful journey with it.”
Anita knowingly comments, “Coffee and Alabama football bring you together. It’s definitely something that is beautiful. It bridges generations. It bridges people. It is an everyday part of a lot of people’s lives.” She grew up in Homewood and sees the importance of her role in the larger picture - bringing people together through delicious, ethically-made coffee. We are thankful that Birmingham is the hub for this essential community experience.
All images provided by Trvl Love Koffee
