It's no secret that the West End is, well...changing. New businesses are sprouting up, what seems like every week, and most don't appear to be minority owned. However, these southwest Atlanta residents are looking to change that narrative.
Friends and colleagues Aaron Fender, Khalid Smith, John Onwuchekwa, Marcus Hollinger, Shawndra Onwuchekwa, and Erin Fender have kicked off a Kickstarter campaign where the group aims to raise $30,000 to invest in their retail coffee shop, Portrait Coffee, which they plan to open in the West End by the end of 2020.
Aaron Fender and Khalid Smith have worked in the specialty coffee industry for years, even having the opportunity to explore coffee farms in East Africa where the coffee plant was first discovered. The group aims to change the picture most people think of when they think of coffee, and prove that the industry isn't just a "white man's game."
"We care deeply about seeing all people being able to take advantage of the new economic opportunities being presented in our corner of the city," they write on their Kickstarter site. "Our hope is that Portrait Coffee is a catalyst for new representation and growth in our community, and in the specialty coffee industry itself."
As they work to raise the money, the group will be hosting educational and pop up experiences in the city over the next few months. Check out pics from their most recent pop up below!