There’s nothing better than coffee with a cause, and supporting a Veteran owned business, that then supports small farmers from all over the world using beyond fair trade is the whipped cream on top. We caught up with Christopher and Nina Cox to hear about how they went from the Army and Marine Corps to roasting beans and serving specialty coffee in middle TN.
What got you into specialty coffee?
I learned to love coffee through my experiences while stationed in Europe. When I returned home I was unable to find a coffee that lived up to what I had grown accustomed to so I began researching coffee to order and found I could roast green beans. The adventure started with pan roasting in the house, which I was quickly banned from ever doing again due to the amount of smoke that comes off the coffee. I built my own roasting drum since it was a hobby at that point and did not want to invest in a commercial machine. I was self-taught from online research and materials from the library. Over time, the hobby grew and grew. I took courses on roasting, purchased a small commercial machine, and began to refine my craft and product while selling to friends, family, and an ever expanding circle of new customers.
Why Lebanon?
I was born here and grew up in this area. I wanted to bring something to the square that was missing. There was no food or drink at the time, so my wife and I took the leap of faith to start the Split Bean Roasting Co coffee shop in 2018. Lebanon is unique in that it is very much a growing city with a downtown vibe, maintaining its small-town charm. People very much support small, locally owned businesses.
What are three things people might not know about specialty coffee?
- Light roasts have a higher caffeine content than dark roast
- Everything from the soil the coffee grew in, to each little adjustment during the roasting process, to the grind and water you brew it with changing the flavors of coffee
- Hot water draws out more of the natural acids and caffeine in coffee, so if you find yourself sensitive to coffee, then give Cold Brew a try.