In October, two graduates from the University of Tennessee took a step closer to achieving their dreams by opening a new coffee shop off Kingston Pike, just about 20 minutes from campus.
Sarah Gonzalez graduated from UT in the spring of 2023, and Julian Reed graduated just this past semester. The two have been friends for years and worked together at Backroads Market off Sutherland Avenue until it closed in March of this year.
Gonzalez has always dreamed of opening a coffee shop and studied business management and entrepreneurship while at UT to help her learn everything she could about how to start her business.
However, Reed studied criminal justice. While she did not grow up dreaming of owning a coffee shop, one day she and Gonzalez made a pact when they were hanging out on a random night after school.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I think I’m gonna open a coffee shop when I graduate.’” Gonzalez said. “And Julian was like, ‘Can I do it with you?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ And that was it. And that was decided — that was the moment.”
Reed and Gonzalez also thank UT tremendously for helping them make this vision a reality. Without their experiences here, they would have never met or learned everything they needed to know to make this dream a reality.
Even still, when Backroads closed, Gonzalez and Reed had to face the reality of everything. They were both now graduated from college and without their jobs at Backroads, so what was the next step?
It is their ultimate goal to own a coffee shop in Florida, and they considered just moving there until Two Rivers Church in Bearden offered them their space, and they said they couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“We can’t move to Florida,” Gonzalez said. “We have to stay in Knoxville and open this coffee shop and take this opportunity because we promised everyone that we would do it.”
After months of planning and hard work, and with help from former Backroads owner Melissa McCay, Evergreen Coffee opened its doors at 315 S. Mohican St., in the lobby of Two Rivers Church.
McCay sold all the old Backroads coffee equipment to Gonzalez and Reed and helped advise them along the way.
McCay made the difficult decision to close her coffee shop after struggling to keep up with rising rent costs, but she said that it means everything to her to know that her shop inspired others to own one of their own — it’s like a small piece of Backroads gets to live on through Evergreen.
“(It) makes it all worth it,” McCay said, “Being a business owner is such a privilege — I am so excited to see how they will grow as people. … You won’t find a better cup of coffee or people who care as much as they do.”
Evergreen’s menu offers a variety of espresso drinks with grounds from Vienna Coffee Company, tea, matcha and select pastries from Pastelito’s Cuban Bakery. They’re also working on providing gluten-free options for their customers.
Evergreen also sets itself apart from other coffee shops by specializing in making customers’ drinks completely custom to their preferences. They also have really good matcha, according to Gonzalez.
“One thing I will say that I’m really proud of is that our matcha is actually really good,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of people have told us that. … (It) makes me feel so happy because sometimes it’s hard to find a place with good matcha.”
Aside from drinks, Evergreen’s close proximity to campus offers a new space for students to study or just hang out, and soon, they will be getting even more cozy furniture for their customers.
“We’re excited to meet all the new customers and regulars, and we’re excited to have people come hang out and study,” Reed said.
Reed also stresses that Evergreen is open to people of all backgrounds despite its location in a church.
“We want everyone to be comfortable coming in here,” Reed said. “We accept everyone, and we love everyone, (but) if they want to come to church here, we strongly recommend it.”
So whether you’re on your way to work or need a quiet place to study, check out Evergreen Coffee, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — a place for everyone.
The new Evergreen Coffee shop. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
