Blackbeard celebrates first anniversary

Blessing Aghimien

Barista Zach Pomery makes an iced coffee while working at Blackbeard Coffee Roasters.

The notes of caffeine and fresh coffee brews have been bringing new and returning customers back to Blackbeard Coffee Roasters for more than 365 days, giving the establishment reason to celebrate the milestone last Saturday.

With the help of local sponsors such as Purple Blossom Yoga Studio, Shave on Fifth and more, the local Greenville coffee shop, located at 203 E. Fifth St., celebrated its one year

anniversary with a full schedule of activities which included live music and pop-up vendors.

“The event went really well,” Mike Fox, the co-founder of Blackbeard Coffee Roasters, said. “Overall, we had about 15 vendors come out. We (also) had yoga and we had music.”

The one year anniversary celebration began at 7:30 a.m. with Yoga on the Patio, an hour-long free yoga class which was led by an instructor from the Purple Blossom Yoga Studio. According to Fox, Blackbeard will now have yoga every Friday, led by an instructor from the Purple Blossom Yoga Studio.

Yoga on the Patio was followed by a roasting demo at 9:30 a.m. and then a four-hour pop-up shop session which hosted local artists, vendors and business owners from the Uptown Greenville area.

In traditional Blackbeard fashion, the coffee shop featured live performances from indie-folk singer Mandy Mears and band Sometimes Lions to close out the night of the anniversary festivities.

According to one of two members of Sometimes Lions, Steven Ottinger, live music has been a staple of the coffee shop since it opened. Ottinger said the live music has helped plenty of local artists such as himself and his bandmate Sarah Fisher gain traction in the Greenville music scene.

“The acoustics in the room are great for live music to play in there (Blackbeard) and I love that aspect,” Ottinger said. “Blackbeard is popular with ECU and Pitt (Community College) (students) and it will be for years to come, so we definitely have that to look forward to.”

The alternative musical duo, Sometimes Lions, served as the final performance of Blackbeard’s one year anniversary celebration. Performing acoustic covers of songs from a spectrum of genres, the duo said the vibe in the room was intimate and fun.

“We sang covers from bands like NEEDTOBREATHE, Journey and The Eagles. We also sang more well-known country songs like Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Meant to Be’ and songs from the Dixie Chicks,” Fisher said. “Blackbeard is all about people and building a sense of community within their restaurant, so it was an honor to be a part of that especially on their one year anniversary.”

Opened by Michael Fox and Matthew Sterling, what is now Blackbeard Coffee Roasters came to fruition in 2017, as the two coffee brewers were once roasting unique coffee beans in a “roasting shed.”

The indie atmosphere of Blackbeard Coffee Roasters has made its appeal to customers who are students at East Carolina University, including senior Justice Miller.

“With its intimate lighting, wooden fixtures and minimalist color scheme, Blackbeard is a place where the coffee is more than Instagram worthy,” Miller, an interior design and marketing double major, said.

As for the future of Blackbeard Coffee Roasters, Fox said Blackbeard is moving into year two with new ideas and collaborations in mind.

“We’re looking for ways to partner with more artists,” Fox said. “I’ve got ideas for ways to incorporate more art and products in our space.”