Inspiring Conversations with Evan Inatome and Winston Justice of Elixr Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Inatome and Winston Justice.

Hi Evan and Winston, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Evan started Elixr Coffee about 10 years ago in Philadelphia. The idea came from deep love of coffee and how it brings people together. After living in Indonesia and experiencing the coffee culture there, Evan came back to the states with an idea to start something here but wasn’t sure where or how.

His sister and brother-in-law, Winston were living in Philadelphia at the time and it seemed like the perfect place to start this dream. Elixr began as a coffee shop but later added a roasting operation and expanded to four stores throughout the city. Coffee sourcing is now one of the pillars of Elixr, as we aim to find amazing coffee across the globe and work with the producers each year.

Fast forward 10 years later, the two have partnered in a new city, Nashville. There were rumors of the Fifth & Broadway project beginning and Winston thought Elixr would be a great fit here. Elixr opened in Nashville in March and has felt extremely welcomed.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
While there are always bumps along the way, those bumps are often learning experiences to get better. The most recent struggle has been extremely challenging for many industries, Covid-19. The Nashville cafe opened in March 2021, the middle of the pandemic. It has been difficult to navigate the different guidelines while keeping the staff and customers safe. After this bump, it feels like we can handle anything!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our goals are to make Elixr Coffee a place where you can get amazing coffee from the top producers in the world in a space that makes you feel welcome by people who are kind and caring. We specialize in sourcing single-origin coffees that are among the top coffees you can buy.

We brew these as pour-overs on the Chemex in all of our cafes. Some notable coffees are Las Brumas from El Salvador, El Injerto from Guatemala and La Palma y el Tucan from Colombia. While we are coffee purists, we aren’t snobs, we also do a variety of seasonal signature drinks for those who want something different. Right now we feature a Strawberry Oat milk latte and a Butterscotch Pink Peppercorn latte. Our staff is available to help you decide what drink you will enjoy and we do our best to help.

Coming soon to Nashville will be our Omakase tasting. This is a six-course coffee omakase curated by a barista to showcase interesting coffees in form of pour-over, espresso, cappuccino, and a signature beverage. We cannot wait to bring this service to Nashville because it truly encapsulates what Elixr stands for.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We have always been dedicated to our community in Philadelphia and we hope to do the same in Nashville. We know that a lot of locals don’t make it downtown often, but we hope that you can visit sometime! We offer 1-hour free parking at 5th & Broadway, just ask the barista for a validation. We love the arts and have historically worked with artists on murals, merchandise, etc.

Also, Latte Art throwdowns are a huge part of building a coffee community and we often work with local restaurants, breweries, and more to provide a fun night that typically benefits a local charity. We are new in town but can’t wait to work with other local businesses and people. You can often find Evan and Winston in the cafe enjoying a coffee or working behind the bar, please say hello!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: elixrcoffee.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elixrcoffee/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElixrCoffee
• Other: elixrnashville.com

Image Credits
Ted Nghiem