Indonesian-Inspired Coffeegraph Debuts in West Highland

Coffeegraph, an Indonesian-inspired, family-run coffee shop in West Highland, opens Friday, October 11. The project, from husband and wife Brenda and Troy Carlson, has been a labor of love for over a year and a dream for much longer than that.

Brenda was born and raised on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and moved to Denver in 1996 to attend the University of Denver. She met Troy through the hospitality industry and the couple had their first child and moved to Minnesota in 2001 — where they almost opened a coffee shop. "We were pretty close to picking a location, then 9/11 and then life happened," says Troy. Over the next two decades, they followed their career paths — Brenda as an accountant and Troy as a butcher, and raised their family before moving back to Denver.

"As the world is opening up [since the pandemic], we decided to start this coffee project," says Brenda. Through connections she has at home, they've been able to source green coffee that Troy roasts through the co-roasting facility First Crack, which is also where their son, Alaric, took classes to become a Specialty Coffee Association-certified barista.

"We really want to highlight the Indonesian coffee beans in North America. South American beans are definitely dominating, and...Indonesia is the fourth-largest coffee producer in the world. You see some stores doing typical Sumatra, but my goal is to highlight it more because there’s so much more to do," says Brenda.
The Carlsons focused on sourcing coffees that pair well with the other Indonesian flavors in their housemade syrups like aula aren (coconut palm sugar) and pandan. They also use Indonesian vanilla pods to make vanilla syrup, and the shop's signature Noir Bliss latte is made with black sesame and black cocoa.

Additionally, they've partnered with Banh & Butter Bakery Cafe and GetRight's Bakery for food options, but hope to eventually expand into their own commercial kitchen to bring even more Asian flavors to the shop.

Although the Carlsons signed a lease last June, red tape delayed their opening significantly. They used the time to research coffee shops. "I spent hours and hours standing over that bar and talking to my son and making sure the flow for him is how he wants it," says Troy. "And then just really going to coffee shops and observing how they do things and finding our own way."

He adds, "We were put through this whole process for a year and a half — maybe it was done for a purpose. Things are finally coming to fruition for us. The whole exciting thing is introducing new flavors to new people."
The shop's goal is to live up to its motto: "A world in your cup, uniting flavors, cultures and people." It aims to do that by offering not only Indonesian coffee, but other unique, house-roasted coffees via pour-overs.

Brenda, who commutes from Parker to downtown for work, says she received a lot of inspiration from shops she frequents, especially Corvus. "I love going to a coffee shop in the afternoon for a mid-afternoon booster, but they all close at 2 or 3 p.m., so for me, we’ve gotta be open late," she notes.

Adds Troy, "You're the start of everybody's day, so having the right impression and starting their day off right — especially with customer service — and making them feel good when they leave is really important."

Coffeegraph welcomed friends and family on October 5 for a soft opening and is now ready to celebrate its grand opening with the general public. There will be BOGO drinks, giveaways and raffles on Friday, October 11, plus other giveaways throughout the weekend and a pop-up from confectioner Colorado Cocoa Pod on Sunday.

"We're finally making our dream come true," Troy concludes.

Coffeegraph is located at 3800 Julian Street and is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, follow it on Instagram @coffeegraph.colorado.