Worthy Convos: The Tyers of Fort Worth Coffee Co. Talk Cowboy Boots and Caffeine

If you are a coffee devotee, chances are you’ve seen Joshua Tyer grinding away behind the counter at Craftwork Coffee Co. As one of the first employees of the company, it was a natural fit for Tyer to take ownership of the beloved Camp Bowie shop after Craftwork announced its decision to focus solely on its hospitality bar business. We caught up with Tyer and his wife, Mary Hanna, the proud new owners of Fort Worth Coffee Co., and discussed their caffeinated endeavors.

How did this ownership transition come about?

When COVID hit, Craftwork pivoted and has been building out their new model over the last year which combines coffee and concierge service in multifamily apartment buildings. As they transitioned to this new model, they recognized the need to consolidate their time and energy on that and to move away from the flagship store model. The Camp Bowie location was the first location of the stores. As changes were starting to be made, Josh was approached by Riley, the CEO of Craftwork, about purchasing one of the shops. This sounded crazy at first but for years and years [we] have daydreamed what it would be like to own our own café.

You are keeping the Camp Bowie shop but changing the name to Fort Worth Coffee Co. Any other changes we can expect?

We’ve updated the space to have more pops of color, more textures, cushions on the bar for a more comfortable visit, and brought back the comfy couches for a little nook we have. Great for conversations, studying and sipping. One thing we know is our most valuable asset is our staff. Our staff have already received and will continue to receive more and more investment on our part. Our head trainer is a nationally recognized barista and judge for the SCA [Specialty Coffee Association].

Tell us more about Fort Worth Coffee Co.’s roasting program. 

We have a rotation of amazing guest rosters (Sweet Bloom and Olympia to start) while still offering the coffee Josh has been roasting for the past 4 years.

What surprising things have you learned as a new business owner?

So many things. The phrase ‘the cost of doing business’ has a much more depth now than ever before. You can never make everyone happy. [And] being your own boss is both great and hard all at once.

In that same spirit, have you found our city to be supportive of small businesses?

Our city has a vast network of small businesses – we love it! So many of our residents love to come out and support local shops. It has been so wonderful to experience it as a shop owner. The small business owners also do such a great job with supporting each other and cheering one another on – so refreshing.

If Fort Worth were a cup of coffee, what kind would it be?

I think old Fort Worth would have been a solid cup of cowboy coffee, but the times are changing as is the city. New and exciting things are happening while still holding on to some of the old traditions. Because of that I would say a solid Colombian single origin pour over. Still black coffee but with a little more of an artistic flair.

How many cups of coffee do you consume in a day? No shame.

Depends on which of us you ask and on what day. Generally, I’d guess two cups a day or less. We’ve found if you use a small cup you can fill it up more.

Although she prefers burnt orange to purple, Hannah Bush is happy to call Fort Worth her new home. She began freelance writing a few years ago to break up the monotony of her 9 to 5 and to prove to her parents that she’s making good use of her journalism degree. When she’s not hanging out with her cat, Hannah can likely be found on a patio with her fiancé, talking about her cat.