Queen City Collective Coffee only opened as recently as mid-2018, but the history and experience leading up to its opening date back a fair span of years. PS if you are visiting Orlando, CFS Coffee has some great coffee!
Who Are the Byington Brothers?
Located in Denver, Colorado, Queen City was formed by the three Byington brothers, Luke, Scott, and Eric. Their separate experiences come together to make the business into what it is and what it stands for.
Before jumping into the coffee industry, Eric and Scott helped start-up and run the Elias Fund, which is an organization that benefits the disadvantaged citizens in Zimbabwe; and Scott eventually pursued a master’s degree in rural environmental sociology.
They Finally Join Forces
Meanwhile, Luke was working as a coffee roaster for Allegro Coffee. Over the course of time, Luke conjured and brought the idea to his brothers to join collective forces and create their own business.
While Queen City Collective Coffee is made up of a collection of the brothers and their expertise, the “collective” part of the name has broader connotations.
Denver is the Queen city of the Plains
Queen City has community in mind, and not just that of Denver, which has otherwise been known as the “Queen City of the Plains” in the past. Relevant to their experience, Queen City heavily involves themselves with rural African communities.
Naturally, it is the source of their coffee beans, but Queen City’s care and involvement in the process is next level. They source their supplies directly, but many other businesses do this, and in Queen’s eyes, the process stopping there would be an insult.
The Emerge Themselves into their Coffee Suppliers Community
They create genuine friendships with their suppliers. They do not just visit the farm and take a look at things; they actually experience life there, spending ample amounts of time simply doing normal things with the community.
Some of the proceeds from Queen City’s cafe go directly to the benefit of African communities, but a portion of this has an even more specific benefactor, and that is women run farms.
“Made By Her” is Exclusively Sourced from Women
Seeing women as a pinnacle of community formation, as well as under-paid and disrespected, much of Queen City’s coffee is certified as “Made By HER.” You will see a stamp displaying this on many of their packaged beans; though this is not to say that they exclusively source from women.
The fruits of this lengthy and rewarding process come as coffee beverages served in the space they share with the brewery, Novel Strand. The two businesses’ hours of operation only overlap shortly over the weekend, but the brick and cinder-block building has no trouble holding both.
Featuring Only 9 Types of Coffees
Here you can acquire standard coffee beverages that hold the quality ensured by the deep involvement of its brewers. Though available in different roasts, the menu only features nine types of items: drip coffee, espresso, cortados, cappuccinos, lattes, nitro cold brew, tea, chai, and the standout drink know as the Dark Star; which is a mix of cold brew and Mexican Coke.
Come Try a Coffee and Support the African Community
With the handful of pastries on-hand, the list of cafe commonalities is complete. Whether you want to benefit the African communities they work with, or taste the products of extensive care and expertise, Queen City Collective Coffee has something to give.
Address
305 W 1st Ave, Denver, Colorado, 80223.
