A new neighbor arrived in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of Fort Worth in March. Coffee Folk, a husband and wife-owned shop, has quickly become a staple in the area with locals coming to socialize and getting to know people living in their community.
Owners Brian and Gina Milligan saw a need for the shop and took it as an opportunity to create a friendly, local coffee spot.
The Milligans worked for almost four years to renovate a 1976 Coachman camper that would become their micro-shop. The old camper belonged to Brian’s grandparents and was sitting in their backyard when he came up with the idea to turn it into the micro-shop. Brian tore the camper down to a blank canvas but made sure to maintain its style in order to pay homage to his grandparents throughout the renovation process.
Located at Meadowbrook Drive and Oakland Boulevard, the sleek matte black exterior, gravel seating area and cactus landscape allow for a walk-up experience.
The couple took a non-traditional route in opening their business by testing their product at home during coffee parties with their friends and family before taking it to the streets.
They also catered events and perfected their product before ultimately deciding to open their own shop.
A lot of the couple’s knowledge of the coffee business comes from their roaster in Portland.
“Our coffee is a little different because our roaster from Portland is Italian, so he really respects the Italian tradition of roasting,” Brian Milligan said. “In that way, we’re a little different than some of the new shops because most of them are a new style of roasting, and he’s more old school; we really like that style of coffee.”
Along with perfecting their product, the Milligans wanted a shop that was open and welcoming.
They added a sliding glass window to the trailer so customers can watch them craft the Italian espresso drinks.
Coffee Folk is open on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Milligans plan to expand their hours and create a new schedule for the summer.
You can find Coffee Folk on Instagram @coffeefolkcafe.