The Well - Where Coffee Changes Lives
Finally, a place in Green Hills that has character. Don't get me wrong, I love living in this area and the conveniences that come with it but let's face it - most of the buildings here have been built/renovated to look new and kind of blah in a uniform, office park kind of way. I have a love for reclaimed wood, barn doors and burlap accessories that I doubt I'll ever sick of. Scoff if you must but it's this sort of warmth that a lot of places around Green Hills still lack and I'm so glad that The Well Coffeehouse has decided to give the old flower mart on Richard Jones Road a new face. It has lovely decor with rich colors and textures and friendly customer service. The tell-tale signs that it also used to be Burger King are still there like "Drive Thru" on the ground outside but other than that, if you were none the wiser, you'd think this was there all-along.
Comfy couch, cozy nooks. Love.
Sure, the Starbucks that's by Smoothie King here in Green Hills also has beautiful decor and consistent, decent coffee but if you prefer to shop/eat/drink local (and I do!), definitely go to The Well. Easily accessible by back roads so you avoid Hillsboro Road traffic, The Well is open Monday to Saturday from 6a.m. till 10p.m., and on Sundays from 1 - 6p.m. They have free wifi, tons of comfy chairs, a really cool couch with its arms and back covered in sack cloth and, when the weather's cooler, outdoor seating. Most of all, they serve coffee and there's a ton from which to choose.
Roasted in Murfreesboro, TN, the coffee you drink at The Well is from Just Love coffee which imports and roasts beans from all over the world from Sumatra to Costa Rica to Tanzania. Profits from what The Well sells helps them fulfill their efforts to bring what is needed to villages, people and communities around the world such as building wells for clean water, resources to imporverished people and similar missionary work. Their mission:
We exist to support God’s mission of giving a life of freedom and hope to oppressed, underprivileged, and impoverished children, women, and men. This missional effort is focused locally and globally through the giving of financial assistance, food, clothing, and other essentials of life. We do this by selling coffee and coffee products and then taking the profit from those sales and giving it away to those in need.
So, I get my fix AND I get to help someone in need? Twist my arm! When Zarna and I were there yesterday, I ordered the Tanzania Peaberry roast, served using the pourover method (hurray, Hario kettles!) and it was nice, light and floral. Z ordered an iced green tea which she's given her seal of approval. Not a fan of pourover? They also use the AeroPress, Chemex and French Press. Also available are cold brewed ice coffee, regular brewed coffee, espresso and espresso drinks and teas. They use Square for credit card payments and currently only have one register/order taker. I have yet to be there when it's packed, but so far I haven't had to wait long at all.
Snacks and pastries are available if you're hungry and you can contribute even further to their cause by purchasing some hand-made jewelry (from fashionABLE), leather goods made in Honduras or The Well's t-shirts for those of you who like to represent. I'm looking forward to trying the other roasts they have but just the location and how nice a place it is makes it a good enough reason for me to keep going back.
One little section that made me smile (and almost cry) was The Wishing Well, where you can leave little notes of wishes or see what wishes others have left that you can then pick up and respond to if you'd like to help them out. The goal with The Wishing Well is to foster a sense of community among The Well's customers, and I'm going to make it a point to check it out whenever I'm waiting for my order to be made.
Let me know what you guys think of The Well Coffeehouse when you get to stop over there. Who knows? You may just see me sitting in the corner working away! Find out more about The Well at their website WellCoffeehouse.org where you can also read more about the wonderful people behind The Well and the charities and orgnizations they support.
The Well Coffeehouse | 2035 Richard Jones Rd, Nashville | WellCoffeehouse.org
