Today we’d like to introduce you to Parker Slade.
Parker, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started roasting coffee in my kitchen with an old Wirley pop popcorn popper. The ones with the hand crank that you can’t stop rotating until all of the popcorn is popped. It makes a loud screeching noise and after about 5 minutes your arms go numb. I didn’t mind it though, I was having fun. It began as a hobby, and I was just giving it out to a few friends asking them for some honest feedback.
I wanted to make something good, and I wanted to get better at roasting. Eventually, I bought a home roaster. It looked more like a toaster oven, but it was hands-free and I could control the roasts. Plus I could take notes and drink beer while I was doing it. At this point I did not think I would start a business, it was just something to do after work with my friend and we were having fun.
After a few more months of home roasting and giving out free coffee to friends, I realized that I was really enjoying it. I liked making something that people enjoyed and I was having fun doing it. The hobby soon turned into an obsession and that is when I started thinking about making a future out of this. Chicago is a great place to start a business, especially with food.
After about a year I purchased a commercial coffee roaster. We launched an Indiegogo campaign to see how the public would take to our idea of a barrel aged cold brew coffee. We made a little bit of money, but it wasn’t about that. I wanted to get the word out, I wanted people to know I was making something and I wanted to know what they thought.
After the first round of sales, my girlfriend and I loaded up my car with 30+ bottles of bourbon barrel cold brew coffee and drove around delivering peoples orders, thanking them for their support. I was still trying to figure out where I could sell my product. Why would anyone buy from me?
Chicago has plenty of amazing coffee companies. I spent about a week emailing every event coordinator in the city that I could find. We got our first acceptance into Randolph street market, and I had at least secured 1 event a month throughout the summer. Eventually, the acceptances starting pouring in and we had our first summer of Hexe coffee Co. fully booked and we were in business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Since I can remember I have always wanted to start a business. I had no idea what that meant, but I knew it was something I wanted. Looking back I really did not know how much work it took. It’s not just having a cool logo and making T-shirts, and it is a lot harder than just running an Instagram account.
It’s about hard work and pushing through the struggles knowing that you will come out the other side in one piece. You just need to believe in yourself. There have been more struggles than I can remember, and plenty of sleep lost, but it is all part of the journey. Yes, it is hard, but I wouldn’t change it if I could.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Hexe Coffee Co. story. Tell us more about the business.
Since Chicago has no shortage of amazing coffee (I drive past 3 coffee roasters from my house to my shop) I decided to do something different. Hexe coffee is not a cafe, we don’t have baristas, and we won’t make you a latte. We make barrel-aged coffees. We do offer whole bean bags, but our main focus is our Boneshaker Bourbon cold brew.
Our bourbon barrels come from local distillers FEW spirits. The barrel adds a nice subtle sweetness to the coffee. I wanted to make sure that it tasted like coffee still. We use incredible beans and age them with incredible barrels, and the outcome is a sweet cold brew coffee, with a subtle hint of bourbon. Most people enjoy it black, even if they usually add cream and sugar.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am lucky to have the support of my friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2501 W Washington Ave
- Website: hexecoffee.com
- Phone: 312 525 2099
- Email: info@hexecoffee.com
- Instagram: @hexecoffee
- Facebook: facebook.com/hexecoffee
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