Today we’d like to introduce you to Andi Land.
Hi Andi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Morgan Benson and I opened Seed Coffee Co. June of 2023. Morgan and I met in 2016 working at another Knoxville coffee shop, and during that time she also started a nonprofit called Seed International. Seed Int focuses on small business and money management training in Haiti and Uganda. The idea for Seed Coffee Co. was birthed out of the work that Morgan was doing (and I was helping her with) with Seed International – we wanted to create a space for our own local community that reflected the values of Seed Int and modeled how business can be used to support not only folks in our town and our own local economy, but could also support others around the globe. Seed Coffee gives a portion of its profit towards the growth and development of students that go through business training programs facilitated by Seed Int. While Morgan remains part owner of Seed Coffee Co, she has taken a step back from management in order to work full time for Seed International.
I currently co-manage Seed Coffee Co. with Katy Ellis – she stepped into part ownership alongside Morgan and myself about 6 months after we opened Seed Coffee Co. and she has been a key player in developing Seed Coffee Co. into what it is today! Katy and I have prioritized creating a culture at Seed that is cheerful and welcoming to all in our community. We value kindness, inclusion, and consistency. We are constantly working towards developing an experience that makes a first time customer want to become a regular – regulars are the best! We have our incredible staff to thank for executing our vision and aligning themselves with the culture that we have established at Seed Coffee Co.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first year had some tough spots and there were definitely kinks to iron out: trying to find staff that were a good culture fit, managing fluctuating inventory, fighting the “burn out” feeling, and dealing with all the little unpredictable things that just go along with opening a business from scratch. We realized about 6 months in that we had already outgrown our space and parking lot, but thankfully there was room for us to grow with some building renovations and adding onto our existing parking lot. March of 2024 we doubled the footprint of where we lease and more than doubled the parking – we have amazing land lords who helped make all this happen!
As you know, we’re big fans of Seed Coffee Co.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Seed Coffee Co. is a Knoxville-based coffeehouse providing sustainable solutions to poverty through coffee. When you buy coffee at Seed, you can be sure you are supporting fair pay for farmers around the world. We believe coffee growers should be paid well for the coffee we enjoy every day. We partner with fair trade coffee sources to ensure farmers are paid more than a living wage, are supported through co-ops and training to grow their business, and are able to reinvest in their farms and their families. We also value the growth of entrepreneurs outside of the coffee world. Through our partnership with Seed International, Seed Coffee is able to financially give towards and participate in the development of folks in Haiti and Uganda who are a part of business and money management classes. We value being good neighbors to the people of Knoxville as well as our global neighbors, and our local customers all play an important part in this!
Contact Info:
- Website: seed coffee.co
- Instagram: @seedcoffeeco
