If you visited the City Farmhouse Pop Up Show in Leipers Fork, you may have noticed the coffee truck, Slow Hand Coffee. Each drink was handcrafted by barista and owner Nick Guidry and can we say there was a line that never stopped at Slow Hand Coffee.
So, yes this is not your typical coffeehouse as Slow Hand Coffee is always on the move to meet the demand. But still, it is very good coffee that would meet any coffee afficioando standards. We sat down with Nick to learn more about if Eric Clapton was his inspiration and what’s new in his food offerings this fall.
WS: What made you want to open Slow Hand Coffee?
Guidry: I have been in coffee for almost 10 years, having worked positions ranging from Barista to Marketing Manager, from Sales to Brand Rep. I always had a desire to open a coffee shop. Two years ago, I reached a point in my career that I felt I was at a comfortable place with the knowledge I had gained through all of my experiences, so I decided to make a go of it and left my job and hit the ground running.
WS: In the process of trying to gather funding for a shop I was hit with the realization that banks did not want to lend to a start up, but that my chances were “better” because of my experience and time in the industry. I spent a lot of time talking to friends, colleagues, people I looked at as mentors to my career and people whose opinions I held in high regard. In a phone call with my friend Burke at {sa-vor} Coffees mentioned a book written by the founders of Blue Bottle Coffee, one I had just finished reading a few days prior. Burke drew attention to the concept of a mobile unit of some sort being cheaper and smart for a start-up. After much thought, this became the new vessel so-to-speak for how we would start our concept.
WS: What was the inspiration for the name Slow Hand Coffee?
Guidry: To the disappointment of many, the name is not an Eric Clapton reference. We get the question a lot. A. Lot.
Naming my business was actually the hardest part of the start-up process. I had many names that I loved but were already being used by others around the world. While I realize that a coffee shop in Australia may not mind that we use the same name, I wanted something unique.
In writing my business plan one common theme was apparent. I wanted our products and brand to be known for being hand-crafted and quality-focused. One day I was bouncing ideas back and forth with my friend Dawn and the name came out and I loved it. It encompassed everything I wanted it to. The name became an homage to craft-professions, to the idea that great products come from people who love what they do, whether that be chefs, carpenters, BBQ competitors, writers, and many more. The idea was to follow in the direction of these people that we gather inspiration from daily. People who have honed in their craft, put in the time, lost sleep over how to accomplish an idea.
WS: In addition to coffee you offer food options, can you tell us about those?
Guidry: In addition to our food truck, we also wholesale food, bread and pastry, we make cakes (wedding, birthday, many more). I develop our savory menu with bold and well-rounded flavors in mind. I wanted to make approachable food, but also wanted to make other dishes that pushed the boundaries of “familiar.” A few months back we took the idea of a classic meatloaf sandwich, but turned it in to a “burger.” I smoked the meatloaf, sliced it, topped it with cheese and served it with condiments on our house-made brioche buns. We’ve been focusing a lot on tacos lately. Not only is this one of my favorite foods, but consumers seem to gravitate to tortillas.
Our pastry, desserts and breads are sold to restaurants and bars all around Nashville. I’m really proud of all of these items. Our wholesale program only began 6 months ago, but the growth and success we have seen from it has been so rapid it boggles my mind. We take a playful, inspired spin classic dessert concepts and focus on classically-trained techniques in our bread and pastry, but also put our own spin on things.
WS: If you were a customer, what coffee drink would you order?
Guidry: Iced coffee, black. This is my favorite menu item and is also the favorite of everyone involved in Slow Hand. We brew our iced coffee in a Japanese-style cold-drip process across 12 hours. This makes for a very clean cup and allows the natural flavor notes in the coffee to shine through. Admittedly, we may actually drink more of it than we sell, that’s how much we love it.
WS: If you only had 3 words, what would they be to tell other about Slow Hand Coffee?
Guidry: Hand-crafted, Playful, Inspired
Thanks Nick! If you missed any of other Coffee House series, go here. To find out the location of Slow Hand Coffee Truck, check out their Facebook page.
