MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Palmetto family is celebrating the holidays with the opening of their new shop, Banyan Coffee. After roasting their very first cup back in Oregon, they say it’s nice to be home for Christmas.
“I always ask my wife, how did I end up with you? She always says you got me because of dumb luck and maybe that’s the same with this coffee shop, just dumb luck on my end,” said Josh Schmitt.
Josh and his wife Abbey’s coffee shop adventure began roasting beans out of their own garage in Oregon using popcorn makers they named after movie characters like Shooter McGavin and Ernie McCraken.
“Depending on the kind of roasting it would do if it was a fast roast, I would give it a Nascar driver’s name,” said Josh.
It turns out their popcorn roast became an instant hit with friends and family. They ended up moving back to Abbey’s hometown of Bradenton, where they sold the coffee at the farmers market.
“It's been nice to be able to serve the community and the people that you know and care about and see the old faces you haven’t seen in a long time,” said Abbey.
During the pandemic, they ended up making the business mobile, selling the coffee out of an old hot dog cart.
“I actually didn’t think it was a great idea having the truck, I didn’t want to deal with the truck because I just saw problems,” said Josh.
However, the popularity of Banyan Coffee, much like the coffee itself, only grew stronger.
“I think the moral of the story is just listen to your wife,” said Josh.
Then in late 2022, Josh and Abbey opened up their own brick-and-mortar in Palmetto, just in time for the holidays.
“We wanted our coffee shop to be kind of like a 1980s mullet, business in the front, party in the back,” said Josh.
While ordering, guests will often see the whole family through the big glass window preparing their next blend. They say it’s just like making Christmas cookies together all year long.
“It’s important to have that and protect that family bond because if that’s broken, the business is going to be broken at some point; I personally feel that way,” said Josh.
