Come Together Over Coffee {Flitch}

Simplicity in a Cup

Words by Jessi Devenyns Photos by Shelby Bella & Ashley Haguewood

In a community dotted with coffee shops on nearly every corner, Erica Foster shares the secret to success: slow and steady wins the race. “We’re not trying to outgrow ourselves too fast. We’re trying to take things step by step,” says Erica, owner of Flitch coffee shop. Flitch is an unassuming trailer with a graveled patio that is generally full of faces of all ages and descriptions. Although the patio is now sprawling with seating, the project started out as a bare-bones concept with one picnic table and the drive to create a community through caffeine.

Over the last five years, the space has grown through a patchwork of tables and a slowly expanding menu of beverages. “I think for us it’s just about getting the basics really well,” explains Erica. Those basics are often dictated by the customers. “What’s been easiest for us is just to kind of see what people are asking for… that was matcha at one time. At another point, that was vanilla. We didn’t have vanilla for a while,” laughs Erica. That simplicity is the backbone of Flitch’s model.

Running the business

For over a year, Erica ran the shop single-handedly, bootstrapping the project with her own funds and energy. Every year since then, the shop has grown by one employee, but the small ensemble of staff continues to approach the coffee program with moderation. By maintaining a limited menu and limited hours, Erica works to keep employees from overextending themselves and keeps the business thriving sustainably.

Undeniably, Flitch strikes a balance between the hustle and bustle that accompanies caffeine and the relaxed atmosphere that one hopes to encounter when entering a café. According to Erica, the secret is the approachability of the shop and its clientele. Part of the reason for the approachability of the café is its size, which Erica believes lends itself to igniting relationships between customers. “The interactions that you have with people in such a small space are kind of special because it is a trailer, and so it’s hard to avoid interacting with someone you don’t know.”

That forced proximity necessitates conversation, which has become the foundation that created the community that makes Flitch an understated, but beloved, stop.

Contact:
641 Tillery St.
flitchcoffee.com
@flitchcoffee