![]() Kiley’s son’s band frequently plays at the café, which regularly hosts charity events in partnership with nonprofits such as Bags of Hope and the Hearts & Hands Food Pantry. “I need to be truthful to who we are and what we stand for,” he said.Īnother value Summit aspires to is creating a family-friendly atmosphere, which is certainly true at the Huntersville location that franchisee Brian Kiley owns. He says they “lost dozens and dozens of social media followers,” as a result, or less than 1 percent of their current follower count of 15,400. After the murder of George Floyd, Helfrich posted a photo on Instagram of a protest in downtown Davidson, a post that he describes as speaking out very loudly against hatred. Helfrich knows not everyone in greater Charlotte agrees with the ethos his team espouses. While Summit isn’t aligned with any political creed or religious belief, the company offers a similar sense of belonging and purpose to its followers by organizing charitable and ostensibly fun events. In many ways, Summit is following a mold leftists in the 1980s and evangelicals in the 1990s used to master and monetize the community coffeehouse. “Our ultimate purpose is to provide opportunities for people and communities to flourish and sort of be the best versions of themselves,” he said. ![]() Helfrich often uses self-help speak to explain his vision. While Summit doesn’t insist upon association with a religious group or specific cause, the company’s aforementioned principles are a recurring motif in franchise conversations. It now has 11 locations in places like Charlotte, Asheville, and the Atlanta area, with 10 more in various stages of development, including one in Charleston that will include a bakery.Įach prospective franchisee must meet with at least six members of the Summit leadership team, who evaluate whether they are on board with Summit’s values of diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. Its rapid expansion began in 2020, after management decided to start franchising. Summit Coffee CEO Brian Helfrich and Chief Concept Officer Dora Callahan at the original shop in downtown Davidson. The company opened a roastery in Cornelius, sourcing single-origin beans from Guatemala to Peru that year. Summit opened its second location, the Outpost, on Davidson College’s campus in 2013.īrian Helfrich became the majority owner of the company in 2015, after Tim decided to become a teacher. Tim Helfrich bought the café in 2003, and his brother, Brian, joined in 2011 to help grow and scale the company. It first opened its doors in 1998 under different ownership and has become a mainstay on Main Street. Coffee With a VisionĪ mural of a hiker is painted on the wall behind the coffee bar at the busy Summit Coffee Basecamp location in downtown Davidson, along with a large neon sign telling visitors to “find your summit.” Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ pride flags are displayed prominently inside and outside of the café. Now Helfrich wants to make the brand itself a destination, with a residential extension that the most loyal devotees can call home. CEO Brian Helfrich says he projects annual revenue for Summit’s corporate division to reach $5 million to $7 million this year-an estimate he calls conservative. Since it started franchising, Summit has quickly grown to 11 locations across North Carolina and Georgia, and it is partnering with national brands like California-based home goods retailer Sweet July and regional giants like Tupelo Honey and Clean Juice.Īs of September, the company had raised $900,000 from several investors, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The café has transformed almost overnight from the single location that Evely picked for his proposal into a regional chain. ![]() It’s a testament to how Summit has mastered and monetized the community coffeehouse template more commonly used by not-for-profits. That doesn’t seem weird to Summit Coffee’s loyal customers, many of whom say the brand is part of their lives. Theirs isn’t the only wedding that started with a Summit Coffee engagement. They’re getting married this December-at the coffee shop, of course. Six months later, he chose that spot to propose. They had that first date at a table in the coffee shop’s front window. ![]() It felt like a safe space to get together with a stranger, says Evely, who regularly attended trivia and open mic nights at the café and had run in Summit-sponsored community races with his kids. Like at any coffee shop, people young and old monopolize tables for hours while they work, study, and meet. Summit serves up rich local coffee shop vibes with an alpine hiking theme. After meeting online, Evely had suggested they meet for a date at the café on a Saturday last January.Įvely, who moved here from Seattle in 2004, says the place reminded him of his former home. Crom Evely first laid eyes on Jenny Popis in Summit Coffee’s Basecamp location in Davidson. ![]()
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