Community
More Than Just a Cup of Coffee
have found community where they didn’t have any before.
The owners of Campfire Coffee are building a more welcoming outdoor community. By Charlie Wakenshaw A sign reading “Share the Outdoors” hangs on the wall of the Campfire Coffee shop in downtown Tacoma, above bulletin boards full of hiker selfies. For Quincy and Whitni Henry, the founders of Campfire Coffee, it’s not just a nice sentiment. It’s the whole reason they got into the coffee business — to make the outdoors more inclusive. “We’re not in the coffee business for the sake of coffee,” Quincy said. “There is a community, altruistic aspect.” Camping and the outdoors have long been important to the Henrys, and they want everyone to feel welcome in the outdoor community. “We started thinking about camping trips we’ve taken,” Quincy said. “Usually we’re the only Black family at the campground. 6 Washington Trails / Spring 2022 / wta.org
And it’s always funny if you do happen to see another Black dude there … you kind of have this nod like, ‘I see you, you see me.’ I’ve had that interaction enough times to know that it’s because we kind of feel alone.” Getting more people outside, especially those who have been previously shut out from the outdoors, is the goal; quality coffee is the way to bring people in. “The utility of coffee isn’t just coffee,” said Quincy. “There’s some engine behind (it that) brings people together.” When the shop opened and the coffee was flowing, this theory proved true. Such a space was needed. People come in to get a cup and talk about their weekend outing to Mount Rainier or Dash Point or ask for hike suggestions. Hikers compare notes as they sip Mountain Top Espresso Blend or Summer Camp Roast. Hikers
As a small, local, Black-owned, womanowned, veteran-owned business, Campfire Coffee provides more than just community. It also provides an important way for hikers to help more people enjoy our public lands by shopping somewhere that gives back. It’s been a busy first year making the Henrys’ mission a reality. Not only have they opened a storefront in downtown Tacoma and honed their wood fire roastery — yes, they actually roast their coffee over a campfire — but they also gave back through their nonprofit. In 2021 alone, The Campfire Explorer’s Club donated $20,000 to organizations focusing on outdoor education for youth and awarded five camping trips to families at no cost. “The recreation economy is going to be this conduit to … bring to the forefront the idea that we can make a very positive difference right in our own backyards just by changing where we spend our dollars,” Quincy said. For the Henrys, owning a business has become a way to change the outdoors — one hiker and one cup of coffee at a time.
Photos courtesy Quincy Henry and by Charlie Wakenshaw
“We just want to see more people enjoying the world around them,” said Quincy. “If we can play a role in making that happen, great.”
