How can we use coffee to bring people together? Houston White, owner of Houston White Apparel & Accessories, has always loved coffee but found that specialty coffee is not inclusive nor diverse. Dan Anderson, owner of Dogwood Coffee and Houston’s dear friend, has seen this problem through his time in the industry and also wanted to bridge this gap.
After the murder of George Floyd, the pair went to play golf to talk about what they could (or rather, should) do to support the community. They needed a solution that was bigger than donations … something that would foster a lasting impact.
When Dan arrived home and discussed it with his wife Angie, she suggested they open a new coffee business. It was the perfect solution. They could open a specialty roastery in North Minneapolis that would create sustainable jobs and bring more voices to the table. And thus, The Get Down Coffee Co. was born.
The goal of Get Down is, of course, to make really good coffee, but, more than that, it’s about cultural inclusion. It’s about sharing the art form with the community. Houston will be the majority owner of Get Down, and Dogwood Coffee will be its sibling company, supporting Get Down with sourcing, a wide knowledge base and more.
Get Down plans to create unique flavor profiles similar to Dogwood’s Mixtape blend. Music will also be a fundamental and unique aspect of The Get Down. They’ll have a DJ booth where Houston hopes to have “tiny desk concert moments” weekly so that the shop breathes culture, life and fun.
According to Houston, the journey can all be boiled down to one simple and powerful phrase: Art builds community.
Mark your calendars for The Get Down Coffee Co.’s grand opening on October 7th! You can support Get Down now by signing up for one of their coffee subscriptions below.
