A mobile pop-up source for specialty java has cropped up in the Gainesville coffeescape.

Meadowlark Coffee, a specialty coffee cart steered by JP McKenzie, officially debuted just before Christmas, connecting locals with quality hot and iced beverages — and one another.

“Coffee is one of those things that really unites a community,” McKenzie said. “It’s one of those experiences that hits on every single sense — the sound of the grinders, the smell of the coffee, the taste. As a maker of coffee, I get to really herald what the farmers in other countries are doing, who are working a lot harder than I ever will behind a bar picking the cherries by hand. I think it’s a really great opportunity to serve people something of really great quality and spend quality time with the people that you love.”

Steeped in coffee from a young age, McKenzie’s roots trace to Roswell; he and his wife, Sommer, a Gainesville native, moved to the area in 2019. That same year, Midland Station Coffee Company closed its doors on the corner of Green and Washington streets, leaving behind a shortage of specialty options McKenzie felt compelled to address.

“We were looking for somewhere in Gainesville to get great coffee from, and when Midland closed we thought, ‘There should be something new,’” McKenzie said. “We had a lot of friends who were kind of seeking the same thing that I wanted here: a community around specialty coffee. We started ordering specialty coffee and getting together at our house to brew it and I saw not only the want but also the need for a space to have specialty coffee in Gainesville.”

Now, equipped with an espresso machine and a set of wheels, McKenzie is popping up to fill the void in various locations.

“There’s definitely a call for it, and I’m happy to be a part of the community in that way,” he said.

For McKenzie, coffee is “a lifelong passion” that’s intensified with time and experience. Growing up, the coffee shop he frequented was a home away from home; in college, the shop that set the scene for his after-class studying further piqued his appetite. In Atlanta, McKenzie lived within walking distance of a coffee shop that not only gave him a job, but a deeper understanding of specialty coffee.

“My world opened up into what coffee could be,” he said. “Then I toured playing music for a long time and got to see shops all over the country and I was like, ‘This is the greatest thing’ and it kind of solidified what I wanted to have in a coffee shop. Most people start now where it’s like, you start going to Starbucks and you drink a sugary drink and eventually it changes into something more wonderful.”

McKenzie said he aims to keep Meadowlark’s ingredients as locally and organically sourced as possible, prioritizing “transparency across the supply chain,” from the farms where the products were grown to the way they’re processed. 

Meadowlark’s coffee comes from Bellwood Coffee in Atlanta, its lavender lattes are flavored with lavender from Red Oak Farms in Dahlonega and for mochas, McKenzie relies on Condor Chocolates in Athens. For tea products, Meadowlark has partnered with Hugo Tea Company in North Kansas City. 

As for the cart's flavored syrups, they’re thoughtfully crafted at the McKenzie home.

“My goal is always to source local; if organic, that’s even better,” McKenzie said. “I try to go as close to home as possible and outside of that, just finding the best ingredients. It’s really exciting to get to introduce people to what really thought-forward teas and coffees can look like in a specialty shop. Teas and coffees are some of those things that can just really unite a community; I’d love to get to be the person to do that.”

McKenzie noted that he isn’t here to compete with Gainesville’s existing coffee fixtures, but rather to cater to a different clientele.

“There are great spots here; I think taste is a very subjective thing and there are places that do what they’re doing really well,” he said. “I would love to offer a different take on (coffee) that we maybe don’t currently have, that people are searching for but isn’t present in Gainesville. Maybe there’s something more we can offer to a community that’s thriving and growing at a rapid rate.”

For now, Meadowlark Coffee is sticking to pop-up events and parties, though McKenzie said he’s not opposed to one day serving coffee and tea from a brick and mortar shop.

“The pop-ups are a great way to serve a larger audience, but a coffee shop that someone can find a home or a community in like I did at the shops I grew up in would also be a really wonderful thing,” he said.

Pop-up events are already on the books for 2022. Locals can find Meadowlark at Enemies of the Average, located in the Jackson Building on Washington Street, for a three-day pop-up spanning Jan.7-9. McKenzie will be concocting specialty drinks from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

For updates on Meadowlark Coffee’s whereabouts, follow them on Instagram.