Most of us love a good cup of coffee, right? How about ice cream? Well, Sourdough Cuppa Joe has both coffee and frozen custard. And if you can’t choose between the two, why not have both!
Sourdough Cuppa Joe
Just north of Chattanooga in Hixson, TN, you’ll find Sourdough Cuppa Joe. But what’s the story behind this unique coffee shop? I set out to chat with the owner and learned all about it.
Stephen Johnson was a training coordinator for Chick-Fil-A in Knoxville, TN. He wanted to do more and make an impact on his community. His love for coffee and the lack of good, fast-food coffee options inspired his new endeavor. Because of his background, he knew he wanted to create a drive-thru coffee shop experience. At the same time that he was pondering this, his wife was making sourdough bread. Their friends and family loved her bread so Stephen wanted to include this with his coffee shop. Initially he wanted to just serve sourdough bread and coffee, hence the name. But little did he know that Sourdough Cuppa Joe would grow to be so much more.
Since Knoxville was home, Stephen searched for the perfect coffee shop location there. But after months of dead-end phone calls, he realized God was shutting the door. During a trip to Chattanooga to visit family, his wife found the old Nana’s location up for lease. She sent a photo to Stephen and asked if they should check it out. He agreed as the building was too unique to pass up. They got to tour the property one week later, something they couldn’t even do in Knoxville, and signed the lease a month after that.
The first baker at Sourdough Cuppa Joe helped Stephen see the endless possibilities of what they could offer in the food department of the coffee shop. They went from just sourdough bread to sandwiches, sweets, and, one of my personal favorites, crustless quiche. Every once in a while I like to grab a small breakfast here by ordering “a quiche and a slice.” This includes one small quiche (whichever flavor you choose) and a large slice of sourdough bread with your choice of jam. Currently, they only have an oven and panini press. The building does not have the proper venting for a stove so the food menu items have to be creative and oven-centered.
Nana’s Frozen Custard
Nana’s Frozen Custard had been vacant for four years before Stephen purchased the building. The old Nana’s equipment was still inside. Nana’s was open in this location for nearly 10 years. It became a summertime favorite and so many locals hated to see it go. The previous owners of Nana’s had hoped that one day the business would be revived by someone else. However, Stephen had no plans to revive the frozen custard business. But as Sourdough Cuppa Joe’s first summer rolled in, the new owner of Nana’s suggested that he try incorporating it into the coffee shop business. At first, they only sold vanilla and chocolate frozen custard, as simple as you can get. Then the unexpected happened. Nana’s had such a cult following in the community that even this simple two flavor option brought in more money than he could have imagined.
Since that fateful summer, it became clear that Nana’s was here to stay. Over time, they slowly started bringing more Nana’s classics back to the menu. Expanding the frozen custard options in turn helped expand the coffee menu as well. Eventually this led to experimenting with the marriage of coffee and frozen custard. And if you ask me, the results are the best thing that could ever happen for both Sourdough Cuppa Joe and even the old Nana’s brand. I tried the “Cappuccino Crunch” the other day and was blown away by how amazing it is. This “Shiver” is a mixture of frozen custard, espresso, heath bar, and french vanilla. If you want to see my initial taste test reaction, click HERE.
The Coffee
Obviously a good coffee shop needs good coffee. Stephen really got into planning mode for Sourdough Cuppa Joe when his pastor mentioned the Vienna Coffee Company. After reaching out and asking a few questions, he quickly learned that Vienna includes free training for those who want to use their coffee in their coffee shops. They train on their own machines and all you have to do is bring your own milk for steaming practice. Stephen spent many hours at their training facility. He went from not knowing much about coffee to how to pull a shot and steam milk like a pro. With this new-found knowledge and skill, he was ready to pursue opening a store.
One of my favorite aspects of most local coffee shops are the seasonal drinks. These are special drink flavors that are inspired by the season or just unique flavor combinations. Most of Sourdough Cuppa Joe’s seasonal drinks are created by the baristas themselves. Typically two weeks before the next seasonal drink change, they will get together and taste test their own concoctions. The two week time frame allows them to experiment, practice, and perfect the drink before it is time to release it to the public for purchase. And if I have to choose a favorite drink that’s always on the menu, I love the “Nutty Toffiato.” This sweet latte includes toffee nut and caramel which are two of my all-time favorite flavors.
The Future
There’s still so much in store for Sourdough Cuppa Joe. Stephen would like to open a coffee-hut style shop closer to central Hixson. This would be where even more people could grab a cuppa joe on their way to work in the mornings. He also likes the thought of franchising throughout the Southeast one day, if it’s part of God’s plan. Stephen trusts God with his business and it shows. Sourdough Cuppa Joe wouldn’t even exist today if it weren’t for his pursuit of God’s will. With God, the possibilities of what you can accomplish are endless.
To watch this week’s video of Sourdough Cuppa Joe, click HERE. If you’ve been here before, comment down below what your favorite thing to order is. Until next week, enjoy Exploring Chatt!
For other local coffee shops, check out “Drive-Thru Coffee Shops in Chattanooga“, “Chattanooga Coffee Shops (Part 1)“, and “Chattanooga Coffee Shops (Part 2)“.
