Black-Owned Coffee Brand and a Local Café Making a Difference
When David Paul, a Black neurosurgery resident and the founder of Bold and Gritty, met Gavin Jenkins, the FORMER director of wholesale coffee purchasing at New City Café in Rochester, New York – they immediately connected over a shared interest in coffee and community development.
New City Cafe and Roastery in Rochester, New York
Today, coffee is a commodity enjoyed around the world. However, its history is tainted by colonialism, slave labor, and gentrification. This leads many people to believe that coffee is for “white people.” Bold and Gritty is a Black-owned, coffee-focused lifestyle brand that is working to change this narrative. By both honoring Black people’s contributions to the history of coffee and using it as a vehicle to tell inspiring stories of Black male success – Bold and Gritty is establishing itself at the forefront of a growing movement in coffee dubbed the fourth wave.
The fourth wave of coffee is about making coffee accessible to everyone and trying to pursue justice in all of the relationships from bean to cup. “This includes developing the communities and neighborhoods in our backyard with the same vigor that we approach just labor practices when sourcing green coffee. If we are not also pursuing social justice and reconciliation in our own neighborhoods, then it’s not worth it,” says Nick Trembley, Executive Director of New City Café in Rochester, New York.
So, when David Paul, a Black neurosurgery resident and the founder of Bold and Gritty, met Gavin Jenkins, then the director of wholesale coffee purchasing at New City Café – they immediately connected over a shared interest in coffee and community development. The relationship formed organically when David volunteered to speak to a chemistry class at East High School, where Gavin is also a teacher. What was intended to be another opportunity for David to inspire local youth – ended up turning into the Bold and Gritty x New City Café collab.
Nick Trembley leads New City Café’s approach to community building from the inside out. New City opened four years ago as an outgrowth of the 441 Ministries Teen Mentoring Program - the brainchild of John Lee, Director of Business Development at 441. As the teenagers in this program grew older, it became clear that there was an urgent need in the community for employment opportunities – so New City hired them to run the café. They pride themselves in sourcing great coffee, roasting it excellently, and training exceptional staff – all while operating with ridiculously thin profit margins so that prices can be accessible to neighbors.
On weekend afternoons, the café seating area is broken down and used for kids programming and teen mentoring. There is a community garden down the street. If that wasn’t enough, 441 is fundraising to restore a historic community laundromat so that it can once again serve neighborhood residents.
This work is in line with the mission and goals of Bold and Gritty. Having a retail presence in New City Café is about more than just coffee – it is a space where Bold and Gritty can start to live out their vision and tell stories in more unique and creative ways. As the brands work together to make coffee more accessible for an increasingly diverse community in Rochester, New York – they can start to think more broadly about what that means. “Not only are we thinking about this from the actual space of the coffee shop. You have to think about the taste profile of the demographic that you are serving,” says Paul, who was inspired by Keba Konte at Red Bay Coffee in San Francisco. Bold and Gritty is starting to profile roasts that are a little darker, while also maintaining those interesting notes and flavor profiles that people enjoy.
The Black-owned coffee brand is excited to partner with local roasteries to really home in on that taste profile and the partnership with New City Café opens the door for Bold and Gritty to have a foothold in the community. You can find Bold and Gritty coffee on the shelves at their location on 441 Parsells Avenue in Rochester, NY – with special pricing that reflects the brands’ commitment to sharing inspiring stories and providing affordable coffee in the communities they serve.
A full list of retail locations for Bold and Gritty can be found here.
David and La’ren Paul, co-founders of Bold and Gritty, a Black-Owned Coffee-focused lifestyle brand in Rochester, New York.
We highlight successful Black Men ages 18-40, who embody what it means to be Bold and Gritty. Black coffee is the vehicle for sharing these stories. If you or someone you know embodies these core values and would like to use our platform to shine a light on #Blackmale excellence and encourage future Bold and Gritty men, please fill out our feature application.
