Feast Milk & Honey: The Story Behind the Soulful Specialty Coffee Company

The Story Behind Feast Milk and Honey Coffee

Coffee is more than just a beverage for many people. It's a beloved ritual, a comforting routine, and in some cases, almost a spiritual experience. One coffee company that truly embraces the soulful side of coffee is Feast Milk and Honey.

Feast Milk and Honey founder John Smith has been infatuated with coffee since taking his first sip as a teenager. Over the years, Smith travelled around the world, visiting iconic coffee regions like Colombia and Ethiopia. He met passionate farmers devoted to growing and roasting incredible coffee beans. As Smith explored cupping rooms and sampled freshly roasted coffee, he envisioned starting his own coffee company focused on sustainability, quality, and creating an exceptional coffee-drinking experience.

Launching Feast Milk and Honey

Smith launched the first Feast Milk and Honey coffee shop in Portland, Oregon in 2013. The name was inspired by the Biblical promised land, a metaphor for the acres of lush coffee farms Smith encountered during his travels. From day one, Smith focused on direct trade partnerships with small coffee growers to ensure bean quality and fair prices for farmers.

Word about Feast Milk and Honey spread quickly throughout Pacific Northwest coffee circles. Patrons raved about the flavorful, ethical coffee sourced from farms across Central and South America and Africa. In addition to high-end specialty coffee, Feast Milk and Honey also serves up what Smith calls "coffee inspiration" in the form of original latte art, barista-made beverages, and a welcoming shop atmosphere.

The Milk and Honey Latte

Feast Milk and Honey's signature latte is named after the company itself. The Milk and Honey Latte features Feast's proprietary espresso blend paired with steamed milk and honey for a touch of sweetness. The latte is topped with latte art depicting caffeinated icons like coffee cups, beans, and more.

The Milk and Honey Latte quickly emerged as a fan favorite, prized for its harmony of bitter and sweet flavors. Customers began snapping photos of their custom latte art, sharing across social media and fueling interest in Feast Milk and Honey.

Expanding Across the Country

Positive buzz around the Milk and Honey Latte sparked new opportunities for the brand. In 2015, Feast Coffee launched an online coffee subscription service, delivering fresh bean packs bi-weekly to coffee connoisseurs nationwide. Two years later, Feast opened its first California store in Los Angeles.

Over the next few years, Feast Coffee experienced rapid expansion. The company opened 30 new locations throughout the West Coast. In 2021, Feast expanded to the East Coast with shops across New York City, Boston, Atlanta, and Florida. Today there are over 75 Feast Milk and Honey cafes serving coffee across the country.

Feast's Coffee Sourcing and Brewing

At the core of Feast's success is its commitment to responsible coffee sourcing and a nearly obsessive dedication to crafting the perfect coffee experience. The company's direct trade model ensures every bean yielded can be traced to its origins, protecting local farms as well as the global supply chain.

Bean Selection and Roasting

Every harvest season, John Smith and his team travel to remote coffee farms to meet growers and sample freshly picked beans. Feast values long-term partnerships with farms and co-ops, often working with the same growers for years or even decades. By forging these connections, Feast helps support rural farming communities through fair wages.

The beans are shipped to Feast's Seattle roastery where expert roasters use small-batch techniques to carefully roast coffees based on their growing region and flavor profiles. The roasters focus on balancing acidity, sweetness, and nutty undertones preferred by specialty coffee drinkers.

The Perfect Brewing Method

Brewing the optimal cup of coffee is both a science and an art form. Feast Coffee spends months refining the best roasting, grinding, and brewing techniques for new bean varieties before they ever reach cafes. Baristas undergo intensive training on using commercial espresso machines and other specialty brewing methods.

Customers can enjoy their Feast coffee made in ways ranging from Chemex pour overs to nitro cold brews. However, most liquids served at Feast cafes contain Feast's signature espresso blend, the foundation for luscious lattes and creamy iced coffees.

The Feast Milk & Honey Cafe Experience

When people talk about the Feast Milk and Honey experience, they don't just mean the coffee itself. Feast cafes are praised as being youthful third spaces, at the heart of many communities.

Latte Artistry

Step into a Feast cafe and one of the first things you'll notice is the whimsical latte art. Feast baristas pour delicate tulips, rosettas, and freehand masterpieces on complex layered lattes and steamy cappuccinos.

Instagram accounts dedicated to Feast latte art boast over 30,000 followers. Latte art classes at Feast cafes often sell out months in advance, reflecting the public appreciation for this unique coffee craft.

The Cafe Vibe

In addition to barista entertainment, the atmosphere of Feast's spaces enhances the brand. Cafes feature exposed brick walls, reclaimed wood accents, and handcrafted ceramic tiles made by local artists. Vintage folk and jazz tunes pipe through speakers while patrons chatter at communal tables or sink into soft leather chairs.

Natural light pours in from oversized windows and skylights. On temperate days, the front and back patios fill up quickly with customers working on laptops or enjoying a coffee date. nearly as recognized for its cafe ambiance as its drinks, cementing itself both digitally and physically at the heart of many communities.

Coffee Cart Culture

No discussion about Feast Milk and Honey would be complete without mentioning its vibrant mobile coffee carts. Painted bright yellow with the Feast logo, these carts began popping up near bustling parks, transit stations, and business areas with high foot traffic.

Customers can grab their morning latte or midday cold brew from the strategically placed carts. Office workers cross the street during their lunch breaks to chat with the barista while waiting for drinks. More carts continue rolling out as Feast Milk & Honey evolves along with coffee culture, creatively bringing coffee to communities wherever it's desired.

FAQs

Where are Feast Milk & Honey coffee beans sourced from?

Feast Coffee sources its beans through direct trade partnerships with specialty coffee growers across Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. By working directly with farmers, Feast helps support sustainable farming practices and fair prices.

What types of drinks does Feast Milk & Honey serve?

Some popular drinks at Feast cafés include signature espresso beverages like lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos. Cold coffee drinks like iced vanilla lattes and cold brew with sweet cream are also customer favorites. And Feast's hot and iced tea options offer caffeine-free alternatives.

Does Feast Milk & Honey offer mobile ordering?

Yes, Feast Milk & Honey recently launched mobile ordering and payment to improve customer convenience. You can download the Feast Coffee app to order your favorite coffee drink ahead of your visit and pick it up quickly.

Where are Feast Milk & Honey cafés located?

Currently, there are over 75 Feast Milk & Honey specialty coffee cafés open across the United States. Popular regions include major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, New York, and Miami. Check the Feast Coffee website to find a café near you.