[title subtitle=”WORDS Liesel Schmidt
IMAGES courtesy Anne Marie’s Photo and Video and Katie Driscoll Photography”][/title]
Go to any coffee shop around the world, and you won’t just find coffee—you’ll find great conversation and a meeting of the minds. From tiny holes in the wall to full-blown meccas of all things coffee, the buzz around this caffeinated brew is more than just hype. It’s also about more than just the drink itself—it’s about the ritual, the appreciation for taking a break from the busy pace of life to sit and talk over a cup as it cools, or even just sitting and letting time pass as you get your bearings, taking in the aroma and letting the strong flavor wash over your tongue and remind you that—in those moments—things can wait.
For Kaity and Gabe Gould, coffee is what drives their day—both literally and metaphorically speaking. Roasters of coffee beans for the past seven years, the couple has come quite a long way from the bags of beans that they sold at the local farmer’s market and BrickCity in the early days. From there, they worked their way toward opening their own shop; and now the Goulds are the proud owners of two.
The story of their java journey starts off a world away, in Sydney, Australia. During the year that the couple lived there, Gabe attended a Biblical theology college, while Kaity worked as a barista. “That was my first exposure to the craft coffee world, which gave me insight and knowledge into the depths of what happens behind the scenes of a successful coffee company,” Kaity explains. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, having seen both of my parents being self-employed during different seasons of my childhood. I was never sure what direction to take that desire in, but it was during our time in Australia that the dream for Fort Smith Coffee Co. was birthed.”
The concept behind the business was simple: “Our foundation is freshly roasted, small-batch coffee,” explains Kaity, who was working at Harvest Time Academy at the time she and Gabe, US Navy veteran, and former employee of Nestle, started selling freshly roasted coffee beans as a side hustle. “We built everything around that concept, which is why we started gradually, with the goal of creating a brick-and-mortar space. We focus on offering a quality product, in a welcoming and interesting atmosphere, while providing an engaging customer experience. We also want to provide stable, preferably long-term, jobs for as many people as possible.”
As with all great entrepreneurs, the Goulds are passionate about their product. “Gabe and I seem to love coffee for different reasons,” Kaity observes. “He has more of a focus on the science behind it because it’s exciting to discover the flavor profiles that emerge after roasting, depending on where the coffee was grown. He takes pride in quality control and serving customers the best possible coffee-based drinks. Personally, I love the social side of coffee. So many awesome things happen over a cup of coffee: first dates, business meetings, study sessions, religious studies, creative brainstorming sessions…It’s a drink that brings people together.”
Bringing people together and connecting with their community are high priorities for the Goulds, who frequently host shows for local artists, provide a venue for local musicians, and give financially to community organizations in need. “We do it anytime budget allows—and when it doesn’t, we donate lots of coffee,” Kaity says with a smile.
With beans imported from all over the world, from suppliers including Anthem, Cereza, and Optco, they work solely with importers who source the beans ethically and work closely with the coffee farmers. “We have hopes to one day travel and source the beans ourselves,” says Kaity. Other plans for the future include expanding their reach in the River Valley, with additional dine-in locations as well as possible drive-thru kiosks. Currently, they are expanding into the wholesale world with the intention of being able to offer coffee beans in bulk as a supplier for restaurants and other coffee shops.
With both locations set in heritage buildings from the 1920’s, Fort Smith Coffee Co. is anything but the cookie-cutter corporate chain on the corner. Imbued with an artistic feel, their coffee shops seem to have a recipe all their own: a base of contemporary urban atmosphere, blended with the airiness of a greenhouse and a finishing note of modern farmhouse. “We worked hard to revitalize and breathe new life into the older structures, while preserving much of the quirkiness and character of the past,” says Kaity of the massive structures whose original details were highlighted rather than covered up: the exposed brick, the beams and framework, the raw ceilings.
Really, all that quirkiness and character are two things that work well with the coffee shops, lending themselves perfectly to the atmosphere as well as their way of doing things. “We offer an environment that is welcoming for everyone, and we educate our customers on our different coffees without being snobby. People should drink coffee however they like it, and we respect that,” says Kaity. “Our baristas also remember regular customers’ names and orders, which helps them feel known and comfortable. That’s something that people notice and appreciate, as is our attention to detail. They know that, when they come here, they’ll find delicious, freshly roasted coffee, a great customer experience, house-made syrups, and scratch-baked pastries.”
And while the menu might be largely dominated by the freshly roasted beans that they use in countless iterations of coffee drinks, there are other temping items on the list: non-coffee beverages including hot chocolate and teas, tasty pastries from their bakery, fresh quiches, breakfast burritos and sandwiches, gourmet toasts, and even local craft beers. Clearly, they have their customers in mind, giving credence to the “all day” part of their tagline of “Sip. Gather. Connect. Create. All day, every day.” Something else they say and really mean? “YOU are welcome here.” It’s not just something that sounds good—it’s a way of treating their customers and even their employees. “The most satisfying part of owning this business is seeing our baristas thrive and our customers leave happy,” says Kaity, who has four children with Gabe and makes family and faith a priority. “As Christians, we try to love others well.”
That faith has seen them through a great deal—not just in taking the leap to start their own business, but in staying the course during a worldwide pandemic and finding ways to meet the needs of their customers. “We launched a makeshift drive-thru at the original location, offered ‘free delivery Fridays’ for bulk orders, and followed all health department guidelines to ensure that both our customers and our staff felt safe,” Kaity says. “We also took advantage of all grant and loan applications that were open for our industry, which helped us keep everyone employed and even allowed us to move forward with opening our Bakery District location and add more staff!”
As the owners of Fort Smith Coffee Co., the Goulds know they’re serving up more than just a drink. They’re offering an experience and helping create a community within their community. All day, every day.
1101 Rogers Avenue & 70 South 7th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas
479.226.2437 or 479.522.3394
fortsmithcoffeeco.com
