Open since 2019, Bayside Coffee Company has been happily caffeinating the Forgotten Coast with their small-batch beans roasted on-site daily at their quaint Eastpoint coffee house. Bean lovers can find anything their hearts desire including coffee by the cup, lattes, cappuccinos, delicious cold brew, and of course, whole bean and ground bags to-go. Owners Matt and Megan Lee recently shared some of details about their dream business come true.
What was the inspiration behind Bayside Coffee Company?
After 10 years in the corporate world, Matt and I were both ready for something new and exciting. We’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit but were never quite sure as to what business we wanted to get into. At the time, Matt was roasting coffee on our back porch and fell in love with everything coffee. It was also during this time that we experienced a devasting loss that taught us how precious life truly is and just how short it can be; we decided to take the leap and start our first coffee business. It was an excellent experience because it taught us so much about starting a small business, plus it was a great way to help get through the toughest time in our life.
Meanwhile, we had been vacationing to Franklin County for about five years and dreamed of moving down here. Around the time we started taking this dream seriously, an old oyster house came up for sale on Highway 98. We simply couldn’t let this opportunity pass us by! In October of 2019, we moved to Apalachicola, started renovating the old oyster house in Eastpoint, and Bayside Coffee Co. was born.
What is your most popular coffee?
Currently, our most popular roast is The Apalach. It’s a single-origin Colombian bean that we roast medium dark. It has tasting notes of cherry and milk chocolate, natural sweetness, nice body, and an incredibly smooth finish.
How often do you add/change varieties?
Raw coffee beans are seasonal just like any other fruit or vegetable. Every few months we bring whatever the latest, freshest crop is. Although the origin of the raw beans will vary throughout the year, we roast them to similar profiles that our customers have come to love. We also offer seasonal drinks like peppermint mocha lattes and pumpkin spice lattes.
Where do you source your beans?
Currently, we source from Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Kenya, and Cambodia—but these are subject to change, based on what is available and fresh.
Bayside Coffee Company recently opened a mobile location on St. George Island. Where will it be located and what are the operating hours?
After opening the shop in Eastpoint, we knew we wanted to quickly get a second location on SGI. We see so many locals and tourists from the island that it just made sense. We have partnered with the Food Truck SGI and will be parking our coffee truck right next to theirs in the center of the island. You can also find Weber’s Donuts in the same area. During the winter months, we will be on SGI Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-12:30pm. We will extend these hours once spring comes around and the busy season picks back up.
What is the best part about owning a coffee company?
Waking up every day and doing something you love is simply priceless. Not to mention the stories, conversations, and community that we experience at our shop. We are truly blessed to own a coffee shop in such a special community.
Bayside Coffee Company is located at 327 Highway 98 in Eastpoint. The café is open Tuesday through Friday from 7:30am to 2:00pm and Saturday 8:00am to 12:30pm. Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BaysideCoffeeCo or follow on Instagram at @baysidecoffeeco_fl.
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