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What Is Nomadic Coffee?
Nomadism has a deep history, and despite the ad-
vancement of technology, it remains an essential part of
the human experience. Nomads, both traditional and
modern, continue to play important roles in shaping cul-
tures and economies around the globe.
Nomadic cultures have contributed to the origins of the
coffee industry. The accepted legend about the origin of coffee
is that Kaldi, an Ethiopian shepherd, discovered coffee in the
Unlike nomadic 9th century. Although historians believe that the Oromo con-
animals that have sumed coffee as early as the 6th century AD. They chewed the
leaves to refresh themselves and also crushed the coffee berries
a specific destina- into balls to boost the morale of warriors. There is also a legend
of origin associated with Yemen – Chief Omar (Shemar), a
tion, the nomadic disciple of the Sufi mystics, first discovered coffee. It is most- in outdoor locations, trying to create a new coffee culture
ly believed that coffee was originally exported to Yemen from
barista does not Ethiopia. Later, Yemeni traders brought coffee seedlings back
to the Arabian Peninsula, where they were grown and traded.
necessarily have The majority of Yemeni inhabitants are Arabs. At that time,
the Arabs were mainly nomadic, relying on camels to travel
a clear destination. long distances in the desert for trade and commerce.
With the development of the coffee industry, coffee
This movement has began a “global journey” to the Middle East, Europe and
America, and began to be grown in the right places.
the need for more to a new kind of nomadism in the industry. Shepherds
In recent years, the rise of specialty coffee has led
than just location. revere nature and respect nature. In the coffee industry,
there is also an increasing emphasis on sustainability. At
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the same time, specialty coffee roasters and baristas had a full-time job at that time. “I didn’t start it as a business,
often travel the world in search of the best beans, at- I only did it on Saturday, so it was really a hobby as I want-
tending coffee festivals and competitions and collabo- ed to make coffee, and discover different coffee cultures,”
rating with farmers and other industry professionals. He said. In the process, he continued to learn coffee, testing
The emergence of mobile cafes, food trucks and pop- his skills in coffee championships and achieved good results.
up coffee shops has also created new opportunities for Meanwhile he noticed Barcelona is experiencing a thriving
nomadic coffee businesses. These businesses can move from coffee culture. When he thought he was ready for business,
one location to another, catering to different communities he sold his coffee cart in London to transfer his experience
and events and offering a unique coffee experience. to Barcelona. Nomad opened its doors in Barcelona with its
Nomadism has been an integral part of the coffee first shop in 2014 and then started to gain a presence in
industry throughout its history, and continues to play a coffee shops around Europe, the USA, China, South Korea
role in the industry today, providing opportunities for and Canada, among other countries.
farmers, roasters and coffee entrepreneurs to explore Besides, coffee people can leverage the concept of
new markets, discover new flavors and share their pas- nomadic coffee to rebalance the relationship between the
sion for coffee with others. cafe and the city. This allows them to take their coffee
experience to new and exciting places, creating a more
Finding “Greener Pastures” Is Mutual dynamic customer experience and forging partnerships
with other local businesses.
Coffee lovers around the world are always on the Ray, founder of Redesign Coffee ꅾ霋ㄳ㉰ . She used
hunt for a good and authentic cup of coffee. They explore to be a doctor, at that time, coffee was just a refreshing
cafes while exploring different flavors, aromas, and drink for her. She started to learn about coffee systemati-
experiences. On the other hand, cafe owners are also cally after she had a good cup of coffee in Japan. “At first,
searching for “greener pastures” where they can establish I especially wanted to open a store, just like every little girl
their coffee business, create a unique ambiance, and wants to have a physical store of her own. The store would
serve high-quality coffee that stands out from the crowd. have sunlight shining in, be quiet, having large sofas where
Plus, the coffee industry is a vast and ever-growing everyone can enjoy the sun all afternoon.” But after learn-
market filled with fierce competition. Coffee brands ing how to open a store, she did not dare to do it, “open a
need to get creative in their approach. This is where the store is not that I can provide ‘the best coffee’ on the line,
idea of nomadic coffee comes into play. or maybe even with you want to do ‘the best coffee’ is
Nomadic coffee refers to the idea of coffee shops completely okay.” So the matter of opening a store was put
or brands taking their coffee experience to the cus- on hold. The turnaround came in 2021 on a tour of Yunnan’s
tomer, rather than expecting the customer to come to coffee origins, when she saw that there was a lot of good
them. Starbucks aptly named their concept “Curbside coffee and realized the importance of sharing them with
Service”, which offers customers the opportunity to others. Ray approached the owner of Great Cosmos Brew-
order and pick up their coffee without leaving the com- pub 㣐㸙㸿礵ꃝꂊ껧 and, after hearing Ray’s idea, decided
fort of their car (the service is only available in China to share the space with her, so in June 2021, she prepared
48 Yunnan beans and held a two-month pop-up event: Only
now). Blue Bottle Coffee, on the other hand, is taking a
different approach with “coffee in nature”. From 2022, Yunnan Coffee Here. The campaign was expected to end in
one month, but there were still a lot of beans left to share
Blue Bottle is beginning to drive a coffee truck to appear
with you, so the campaign continued for another month.
catering to coffee drinkers who enjoy being in nature.
Before the first event was over, she was asked by various
For them, this outside setting will become the “third people when the next one would be held and received ideas
scene” for customers to enjoy coffee, allowing them to
for the next theme. So 9 days after the end of the first phase
step away from their usual routines and immerse them- of the event, the second phase of the event Only Geisha
Coffee Here was launched at 鶴꨺ No. ꣣굹ꂊ MISTIK ALLEY
selves in a unique and inviting experience.
experts and independent coffee shop owners who want in Daxing Hutong. So far, the event has been held seven
Nomadic coffee also appeals to coffee lovers, coffee
times with different themes in different stores. After hav-
to carve out their own niche in the industry. ing the ideas to open a store for about eight years, in 2022,
Siphon Hous established, with the owner of the bar she first
Many aspiring young entrepreneurs are inspired by
mobile coffee carts and stalls. worked with. When asked why she was able to enter into a
partnership with store owners, Ray said, “They know what
Jordi Mestre, the founder of Nomad Coffee, became
a nomadic barista and served coffee around some of Lon- I want to do.” She’s also started working with stores in
don’s most legendary markets by coffee cart in 2011. He other cities to host siphon coffee events outside of Beijing.
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