Portrait Coffee: a community hub in Metro Atlanta
Portrait Coffee, co-founder CEO Aaron Fender says the business aims to be more than just a café- it aims to be a community hub. Originally from Miramar, Florida, Fender moved to Metro Atlanta at the age of 12 and later earned a psychology degree from Kennesaw State University. Though he initially pursued mental health counseling, his experience as a barista revealed the need for a welcoming, restorative space where people could relax, recharge, or study. This insight fueled his vision for Portrait Coffee, Fender told The Atlanta Voice.
“A lot of people just need a safe space, a third space, just to relax and recharge or study,” Fender said.
The idea for Portrait Coffee was conceived in 2016 and was co-founded by three families: John and Shawndra Onwuchekwa, Aaron and his wife Erin, and Marcus Hollinger. Fender, as CEO, manages day-to-day operations with a team of approximately fifteen employees spanning both the café and the roasting facility. Fender and his business partners spent years conceptualizing a coffee shop that would serve as both a gathering place and a tribute to the neighborhood’s rich cultural history.
“We all lived and worked in the neighborhood, and we just started having conversations about what it would look like to open a cafe in our neighborhood that actually reflected the history and culture of the neighborhood,” Fender explained.
In December 2019, the group launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to bring their vision to life.
“Most people aren’t aware that coffee can only be grown in places indigenous with people of color, and so we’re trying to change that picture and show people what our supply chain actually looks like,” Fender said.
However, just as they signed the lease for their retail space in February 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their plans. Rather than pausing their efforts, Fender and his team pivoted by creating a coffee club that delivered beans door-to-door in Atlanta.
“We had to pivot our business. And what we started was a coffee club here in the city of Atlanta, where we were doing door-to-door deliveries for coffee,” Fender recalled.
With the help of a friend at Peach Coffee Roasters, they were able to continue roasting coffee and building their brand. This pivot not only sustained their business but also strengthened their community ties.
After months of navigating supply chain disruptions and skyrocketing construction costs, Portrait Coffee officially opened its doors in August 2023. The café roasts its coffee in-house, utilizing a rotating drum and propane heat to develop unique flavor profiles. Their menu features fifteen different blends, with signature drinks like the “Aunt Viv” standing out as community favorites. Rather than viewing other coffee businesses as competition, Fender believes the real challenge is shifting consumers from gas station coffee to appreciating high-quality, ethically sourced coffee.
“All of our growth has always been attributed to the love and support of our community, so in that sense, it only made sense to go to our community to help build the future of Portrait,” Fender said.
Portrait Coffee is located at 1065 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., SW, Suite A.
Visit their website at https://portrait.coffee/
