A new name from our old friends at Good Citizen (formerly Stay Golden) in Nashville, Common Voice Coffee Co celebrates all we have in common — starting with, of course, the love of coffee. By buying a wider variety of coffees to appeal to more drinkers, our latest roaster is opening up access to the specialty coffee community and giving back to farmers in a meaningful way.
They joined us for a chat recently on sourcing “diamonds in the rough,” being good stewards for land and people, and what they’re looking forward to as Common Voice grows.
What is Common Voice's approach to sourcing?
"We aim to purchase as much from a farmer as we can. We taste more than just the cream of the crop and aim to find the diamonds in the rough, so we can support them through purchasing larger quantities of all the coffee they produced."
How did you choose the name Common Voice?
"We wanted a name that united people and invited them to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Common Voice is meant to be approachable and an entry point into conscious buying and specialty coffee. We all have a commonality of enjoying really great coffee and wanted people to start thinking about what they have in common with people more than how they differ."
Tell us about the Nashville coffee scene and how you hope Common Voice will fit in.
"We are so spoiled in Nashville. We have an incredible coffee scene with something for every kind of coffee drinker. Common Voice will often be found in grocery stores and we hope the design jumps off the shelf as something different and that the price is so surprising people feel like they just have to try it."
What differences and similarities can someone expect from Common Voice?
"If you love the clean, sweet, and balanced coffees Good Citizen produces then you will love the blends that comprise Common Voice. Sweetness is key in all of these coffees. We want Common Voice to be easy and one simple choice in your day."
How does Common Voice name its blends? Any unique stories?
"We wanted names that got people thinking about the earth. Improving biodiversity on coffee farms is a key mission to Common Voice, so we wanted to be a bit more granular and get people thinking of other words associated with a healthy ecosystem."
What does "Coffee for Good" mean to you?
"'Coffee for Good' means that each cup impacts more than just you, the person drinking it. We try really hard to be good stewards. Our hearts as team members in this company are to be voices for good in this world. When we started talking about our five percent giveback program it really resonated with a lot of people, so we wanted to make that front and center of who we are."
What are you most excited about right now?
"I'm honestly really excited for people to get their hands on these coffees. We've been working on this brand for over a year now. It's really special to see something that you put your heart into come to fruition in such a physical way. I'm excited to see customers making Common Voice a part of their daily routine."
— Chelsea Kallman, Common Voice Coffee Co | Nashville, Tennessee