Curator's Notes
Portrait Coffee’s name comes from their desire to change the picture that comes to mind when folks think of specialty coffee — to include the black and brown folks who have been cropped out. When coffee was first discovered by Africans, they had no clue this drink would become the most consumed beverage, other than water, globally. Portrait Coffee sources and roasts coffee that is traceable to small farmers, empowers farming communities, and highlights the heritage story of coffee.
Portrait co-founders, Aaron Fender and Khalid Smith, have worked in the specialty coffee industry since 2012, from serving cappuccinos to exploring coffee farms in East Africa. As a result of these experiences, Portrait’s mission aims to answer a central question stemming from coffee’s complicated history — who stands to benefit from each cup? Fueled by this mission, Portrait seeks to make every cup of coffee feel like an invitation to drink in purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.
Hailing from Georgia, Portrait’s entire team consists of residents of Southwest Atlanta who are deeply invested in seeing the Historic West End continue to flourish. Their diverse team has unique experiences in business operations, marketing, communications, design, and community development. Portrait Coffee’s goal is to empower and equip Atlanta natives and residents with genuine career and life opportunities in the world of coffee.
Since their founding, Portrait Coffee was awarded Sprudge’s Notable Coffee Roaster of the Year in 2020. Their hope is that Portrait Coffee is a catalyst for new representation and growth in our community and in the specialty coffee industry itself.
From the Roaster
Named for a desire to change the picture of what comes to mind when people think of specialty coffee, Portrait Coffee is as committed to rewriting that narrative as it is to reflecting the history and culture of its West End Atlanta community. Since its 2019 founding, Portrait has stayed true to both missions daily as it serves up genuine coffee while “pouring a new narrative.”
Coffees from Portrait Coffee have been reviewed 35 times,
with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.
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