The Front Porch By Three Tree Coffee: Come for the Coffee and Stay for the Fun

The Front Porch By Three Tree Coffee: Come for the Coffee and Stay for the Fun
Story by
Walinda P. West | Photography by Jonathan Chick

A stroll along
the 200 block of West Collins Road in Old Pooler reveals a mixture of mostly small, one-story, tidy homes that overlook the city’s
municipal offices.

At the end of
the block at 215 West Collins—between a red brick home and the stately white
house that serves as home to the Greater Area Pooler Chamber of Commerce and
Visitors Bureau—sits a white clapboard farmhouse with its green metal roof,
matching green shutters and a wraparound porch that invites guests to sit and
stay a while. The house is home to The Front Porch By Three Tree Coffee
Coffeehouse—or The Front Porch, as it is better known. The Front Porch is
believed to be the only independently owned coffee shop in Pooler.

Once inside
the front door of the 2,026 sq. ft.-house-turned-coffeeshop, the smell of
freshly brewed coffee greets its brew-craved customers. Before the pandemic,
most of the front of the store was filled with a long communal table and ample
seating throughout that encouraged customers to sit together and mingle.

These days,
though, the layout and seating have been modified to accommodate a new
reality—social distancing—with a clear open space that leads to the coffee bar
where baked goods can be purchased and specialty drinks are made to order.

While in-store
dining is possible, seating is spare and strategic, mostly around the perimeter
of the store. For coffee drinkers who want to stay for an hour or even the day,
wifi is available. Board games also are at the ready in an adjacent room and a kids’
room is in the back of the house for families who want to enjoy coffee while
keeping an eye on their children; another room can be reserved for special
events or meetings.

The store’s
wraparound front porch—its namesake—is one of the most popular hangouts and is
filled daily with guests enjoying the outdoors at a table or a picnic table on
the side lawn.

“I want
everyone to feel invited in,” said Heather Taylor, a co-owner of the
coffeehouse. Taylor, one of five owners of the business, took over The Front
Porch nearly two years ago after the previous owner moved out of state; the
partners kept the name of the shop.

This is the
third venture for Taylor and her partners, who also run similar businesses: a
flagship store, Three Tree Coffee Roasters in Statesboro and Three Tree Coffee
Roasters at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. All three businesses
share the same ethos: “Empower Farmers, End Human Trafficking and Engage the
Community.” Labor exploitation is pervasive among the coffee and chocolate
industries.

The Front
Porch, under the Three Tree Coffee Roasters’ ownership, opened two weeks before
the pandemic shut down the country and forced coffee shops nationwide to close
or reduce hours or staff. Taylor said the businesses worked together to keep
each other afloat.

According to
the National Coffee Association, which tracks coffee trends in and out of the
home, COVID-19 drove record coffee consumption at home, with 85 percent of
coffee drinkers having at least one cup at home (up 8 percent since January
2020) and average daily consumption steady at nearly two cups per capita. The
association said more Americans (nearly 60 percent) choose coffee each day than
any other beverage, including tap water.

While enjoying
new home coffee routines, about 35 percent of Americans said they miss their
favorite coffee businesses and beverages. Nearly half of Americans (48 percent)
are already returning to coffee shops, like The Front Porch.

“The
COVID-19 pandemic has kept many people at home for the better part of a year,
and the latest ‘Atlas of American Coffee’ (a report produced by the
organization) shows they took their coffees with them,” said William
“Bill” Murray, NCA President and CEO. “In fact, we’ve seen Americans
embracing their new coffee routines, experimenting with new coffees, and even
trying to replicate their favorite beverages at home. Now, with light at the
end of the pandemic tunnel, many Americans are also returning to their favorite
coffee businesses or plan to,” Murray added.

Taylor said
The Front Porch is still holding its own and is enjoying a loyal following
based on social media recommendations and long-time customers who appreciate
the welcoming atmosphere and down-home feel of the place.

On Facebook,
the shop has nearly 6,000 followers and more than that in likes. On the popular
websites that offer reviews—Yelp and Google—the shop has a near-perfect rating
with most commenting as much on the coffee as everything else including the
coffee artistry and the pictures on the wall.

Graydon
Sheperd has been a customer of the Front Porch Coffeehouse for three or four
years, he said. Sheperd was first introduced to the store when he lived in
Pooler, but has remained a loyal customer, even though he has since moved to
Savannah where he has dozens of coffee options.

“You can get
coffee anywhere, but this place is special,” Sheperd said. He said he makes the
15-20 minute trek to The Front Porch, where he knows each of the staff by name
and they know him and the coffee he likes. “It’s a welcoming environment here
and you can sit here for hours.”

On a fall
morning, Sheperd was conducting job interviews at the coffee shop for staff for
a new dental practice he will manage in the area. His interviews were set for
10:30, 11:30 and 2 p.m., at a small table in one of the side rooms in the
coffeeshop. Each candidate, he said, is offered a coffee drink of their choice
while Sheperd orders his regular house brew. “I can’t say enough about this
place. It is truly a welcoming place. I truly do love it and want it to be
successful,” he added.

While the key
to success is the warmth customers feel when they walk through the door, Taylor
said having customers linger has an added bonus: more sales.

“People first
and business second,” she said.

The Front
Porch has garnered a following for its unique drinks with names like The
Philospoher’s Cup—a chocolate, caramel and toffee nut latte; the Flower Girl—a
lavender and vanilla latte; and That’s my Jam—a white chocolate and blackberry
latte. The Philosopher’s Cup is the most popular drink, Taylor said. “That’s
the coffee that pays the bills,” she joked. She estimates she sells between
50-60 of that drink a day with lattes, in general, the most ordered.

The vanilla
latte is the drink of choice for Tracy DuBois and her business partner, Heather
Jackson, who frequently order the drink during their visits to the coffeeshop.
The pair, who co-own WW Drayage Company, also use their visits to conduct
finance and business meetings. “They stole us from Starbucks,” DuBois joked.

Taylor
attributes the coffeeshop’s success to personalized service. She said she and
The Front Porch staff make it a point to remember customers’ names and drinks
as much as they can, and when there are customers they haven’t seen in a while,
they want to know why.

“The moment
you walk into The Front Porch in Pooler after nearly eight months and they are
like, ‘Good Morning, Marcus,’ said Marcus Kevin Thompson, a poster on the
shop’s Facebook page. “The drive from Richmond Hill to Pooler was worth it for
the amazing coffee alone, but man do they know how to make you feel valued.”

Based on a Pooler Chamber of Commerce
estimation, The Front Porch is one of six coffee establishments in Pooler,
including Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Just Love Coffee Café.

(912) 348-2240
www.thefrontporchcoffee.com
215 W Collins St, Pooler, GA