When Thomas Porter of Porter Barn Wood decided to join his many restaurant clients in the hospitality business by opening his own coffee shop and café, he saw it as a unique way to combine his love of coffee and construction — hence the name The Coffee Builders — while also learning more about his clients’ businesses. “I wanted to step onto the other side of the fence and be the customer instead of just the provider of materials,” he says. “It gave me a better understanding of how the industry works as a whole.”
Equally important, opening a public café on the grounds of his lumberyard and wood, iron and cement workshops just south of downtown Phoenix allowed Porter to drive foot traffic and raise public awareness of his 13-year-old custom furnishing company, Porter Barn Wood, which has grown to include Porter Iron Works and Our Block Co., a concrete casting works. Already well known to industry folks — with commercial clients such as Disney, Intel and Amazon and high-profile restauranteurs such as Christopher’s at the Wrigley Mansion, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Pizzeria Bianco and more — The Coffee Builders helped the public put a name to the amazing craftsmen behind some of their favorite restaurant designs.
In fact, this new project first started as a living, breathing laboratory and design showcase for future clients to experience his team’s hand craftsmanship for themselves. “My original plan for this space was to build an experimental showroom or ‘testeraunt,’ as I like to call it, for our hospitality clients to demonstrate exciting new materials, finishes and service items,” Porter says. “But after we started building it out, I decided we should go all in and create a one-of-a-kind breakfast and lunch experience.”
But one thing Porter didn’t change was the tiny 850-square-foot layout of this long-shuttered 1960 storefront. “I loved the challenge of working with such a small space, because it’s important that the restaurant not only look great but operate smoothly.” says Porter.
Celebrating two years in business this July, The Coffee Builders has won multiple awards and a diehard following for its innovative drinks, signature Danish-style sandwiches, and fun themed events like the Star Wars takeover wrapping up on May the 4th.
Photo courtesy of The Coffee Builders
