When Laura Casner and Drew Aicklen moved to Knoxville in 2023, they weren’t just looking for a change of scenery; they were looking for a community to call home. Settling into a neighborhood just a few miles from what would become their storefront, the couple quickly noticed a void in the local landscape. Amid the convenient chain stores and drive-thrus in the Northshore area, there was something missing—the "third point of connection”—that space between home and work where neighbors can gather without the formality of a full dinner or the environment of a bar.
“As coffee nerds, we wanted to bring a little bit of the downtown coffee scene to West Knoxville, as well as provide a place for the community to come together,” Casner says, reflecting on the decision to open Primo Passo Coffee Co. in the Northshore Town Center. Drawing on their years of experience owning a successful shop in Santa Monica, Calif., the duo decided to introduce their West Knoxville neighbors to the meticulous world of "third wave" coffee.
The name Primo Passo, Italian for "first step," is a nod to the essential morning ritual for millions of coffee drinkers and to the dedicated Primo Passo team. “Primo Passo is an elevated brand,” Casner explains. For these seasoned baristas, it’s about upleveling the experience. Their tagline is For the Discerning Coffee Lover. “It’s not just about getting your caffeine fix in the morning.” Casner explains, “It’s about dialing in the water chemistry, dialing in the extraction of the espresso, making sure we're always serving the best possible drink. The longevity of Drew’s experience in the industry is really important. Drew heads up the whole chemistry side of things because espresso is absolutely a science.”
This coffee science involves a staggering level of detail, from monitoring the grind size ratio to the precise extraction speed through the portafilter. Before opening, the couple spent six months testing the specific mineral makeup of the water at their location. They now use a reverse osmosis system to strip the water to its purest form before remixing it with a specific mineral ratio designed to highlight the exact flavor profiles of their beans.
Casner is the “creative,” handling the marketing, business, behind-the-scenes and the palette. She comes up with the drink recipes for all specialty and seasonal drinks. Casner is also an experienced professional photographer (LauraCasner.com) with a diverse portfolio of lifestyle, portrait and event photography.
Intentionality in crafting coffee experiences for their customers extends to sourcing and staffing. Partnering primarily with Durham-based Counter Culture, Primo Passo prioritizes ethical relationships with farmers and small-batch freshness that grocery store shelves simply cannot replicate. “If your initial raw product isn’t good, the coffee will not be good,” Casner notes, comparing the peak flavor window of a bean to a fresh loaf of bread pulled straight from the oven.
That spirit of craftsmanship is mirrored in the team behind the counter. Casner and Aicklen have several fellow creatives on their team who understand the value of intentional production in a mass-produced world. “It creates an environment where the staff isn't just serving a drink, but participating in a shared creative pursuit built on precision, timing and visceral experiences, much like their individual creative pursuits,” Casner adds.
Entering its second year here, Primo Passo’s owners are excited about each step following the first step. By trading the fast-paced trajectory of the West Coast for the rolling hills of East Tennessee, they’ve created a community space where science meets social, one perfectly extracted shot at a time. PPCKnox.com.