By Patricia Kovacs, Staff Photographer, Writer
In an era of chain coffee shops, The Traveling Shepherd Coffee Company brings a unique coffee experience to the parking lot at the Fox Mill-South Reston Park and Ride every Friday morning. Inspired by the traveling shepherd in Paulo Coelho’s best-seller “The Alchemist,” owner Brandon Berryhill launched his coffee business with the dream of sharing the coffee traditions he has experienced during his travels around the world with the goal of encouraging conversation, understanding, and community.
Offering more than just a caffeine fix, Berryhill roasts small batches of fresh single-origin imported coffee beans in his garage every week, and authentically prepares his coffee using 12 different cultural traditions – usually right in front of the customer. From Ethiopian coffee beans brewed in a traditional clay jebena to Turkish coffee beans brewed in a copper cezve to Vietnamese coffee prepared with condensed milk, each cup offers an experience of global coffee culture. “I make coffee the way they do it in each country and sell it at a reasonable price. Then I offer good, uplifting conversation,” he said.
He encourages customers to take the experience home. “Try something and, if you like it, you can do it yourself at home,” he said. “I teach you for free, just like the people in my travels have taught me for free."
The Traveling Shepherd began his journey to coffee entrepreneurship after leaving his former career restoring failing pizza franchises. He made ends meet as an Uber driver while getting his new business off the ground – sometimes even conducting market research with his passengers taste-testing his coffee.
Berryhill envisioned using coffee as a means of encouraging people to appreciate what we have in common while also exploring what makes us different. “Every culture drinks coffee, but just practices it a bit differently. This is a common denominator we can all work with to foster conversations and community with each other. My ultimate goal is for people to see each other based on their humanity, not their identity," he said, emphasizing the importance of building understanding in politically polarized times.
With four regular weekly locations and free delivery of his coffee beans throughout Northern Virginia, The Traveling Shepherd is gaining a loyal following. Regulars look forward to their weekly visits, where they can chat with other regulars and build community.
Restonites looking for a coffee experience that goes beyond the ordinary can find The Traveling Shepherd’s tent in the parking lot at the corner of Reston Parkway and Fox Mill Road at the Fox Mill-South Reston Park and Ride every Friday morning from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
When we feature businesses in The Reston Letter, we are not endorsing them as a company or speaking to their credibility. We are telling their stories according to them. We want to give exposure to a lot of businesses, but that does not necessarily mean that we have firsthand experience with them as clients. Hopefully you will always have great experiences with them, but our job stops once we've told their story. We cannot vouch for them beyond that.
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