Not every entrepreneur has the range to create a booming reclaimed wood design/business and a European-inspired bistro in the same lifetime, let alone on the same property. But Thomas Porter, founder of Phoenix’s Porter Barn Wood, contains multitudes. This summer, Porter and his team debuted The Coffee Builders, a charming café on the site of Porter Barn Wood where guests can sit back and relax with a handcrafted coffee and a mouthwatering array of menu items, including Danish-style sandwiches and freshly baked pastries.

We chat with Thomas Porter about the delicious new direction of Porter Barn Wood and the inspirations behind the charming café.

Q&A With Thomas Porter of The Coffee Builders

When did the idea for a coffee shop first come to you?

I have wanted to have my own café for a long time now. We had this little office space on the Porter Barn Wood property with 7th Street frontage that seemed perfect for a café. ‘The Coffee Builders,’ which was the first name that came to my mind.

What was your vision for the space?

I have had the pleasure of working alongside restaurateurs across the United States and some of the best designers in the world in the hospitality industry. Building this space, I originally intended to create a ‘testaurant,’ as I like to call it, to showcase some of the things we can do. Then, I thought to myself, ‘If I make it an actual restaurant, I won’t have to go offsite for lunch.’

As for the vision for the space, I wanted it to look a little more like a nightclub or fine dining restaurant than just your average coffee shop. I wanted to include rich textures and finishes to elevate the space to something out of the ordinary. It was meant to inspire architects, designers and builders, as well as create a unique environment for the elevated menu.

What kind of ambiance, food and beverages can visitors expect when they sit down at The Coffee Builders?

Visitors can expect to be surprised every time they come. There’s always going to be some experimenting going on with new flavors, furnishings and other idea exploration.
There are several signature drinks and food selections you will not find anywhere else in Arizona. For instance, we will be serving several types of ‘Smørrebrød,’ which is a Danish-style open-face sandwich that is quite artistic and makes for a beautiful presentation of some very high-quality ingredients.

Our pastries feature exquisite flavors, such as ‘Blueberry Bourbon Maple’ and ‘Strawberry Rhubarb with Port Reduction.’ There are sure to be more flavor combinations as we begin to test new seasonal ingredients.

For drinks, we have very talented baristas who are taking a stylish approach to crafting coffee-based drinks. There are too many to list, but we also encourage custom drink crafting as well. Hopefully, you’ll get a chance to create a relationship with the baristas and begin to experiment with your drink choice.

How has the café influenced the spirit of Porter Barn Wood?

One of the most fun aspects of this new venture is that it has expanded people’s interest level in our operations. Not everyone gets to build the home or commercial space of their dreams, but everyone eats. This gives people a chance to enjoy some of the creativity we get to be a part of every day at Porter Barn Wood, while also enjoying great food and coffee.

I love breaking bread over business. It just feels natural. I can’t tell you how many times people have come in and said, ‘I’ve always driven by this building and wondered what Porter Barn Wood was.’ I think having the café will finally give people a chance to kill two birds with one stone. They can satisfy their curiosity and hunger at the same time.

Do you see the company expanding into other realms of hospitality and service?

We have been slowly becoming more and more involved in hospitality design and build over the last few years, and this year our restaurant clientele will be the largest part of our business. I wanted to be on the other side of the table, so to speak, and become my customer so I could go through the process of creating a restaurant from the ground up. It felt safe knowing I was in control of every construction aspect, but I have a newfound respect for restaurateurs and how hard they work to make it happen. There are so many moving parts and hands in the pot in most cases—it’s a lot to take on.

I have had the pleasure of working alongside some of Arizona’s finest chefs and professionals. They have been such an inspiration and such a wealth of knowledge, and it has made the process of creating a space of my own much more enjoyable. The chefs in Phoenix are an incredible bunch. Over the next few years, we have quite a few projects to look forward to, and I believe creating this space is going to help us expand this area of our business.

Are you planning any events to celebrate the opening?

We quietly opened on July 31st so we could make sure to work out any technical glitches or flow improvements before the fall and winter bring the masses. Surprisingly, we’ve had a great response, and the design of the space has proved to be very efficient and fun to work in. I think this is going to be exciting for everyone working here.

We plan on hosting several events as we ramp up this fall. We even have some music events happening in October and November where we will be serving a plated, coursed meal alongside some incredible performers. We have big plans.

For the full menu, go to thecoffeebuilders.com