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White prefers brewing his coffee with a Chemex and recommends the tool to all.

Caffeine on Command

by Kelly Skinner | Jezebel magazine | February 6, 2012

Donning blue jeans, a plaid shirt and a messenger bag, Zechariah White tightens his grip on his handlebars before setting off at high speed. He pedals around traffic jams and past a blur of high-rises before flying fearlessly across intersections like a caffeine-induced superhero. His precious cargo—10 pounds of carefully selected coffee beans rationed off in Leifheit jars—is hugged tightly to his chest, ready for doorstop deliveries all over Atlanta. Since May, when White created Bike Guy Coffee with his brother, Joshua, this across-city adventure has become a common occurrence for the coffee nut (who works a night job waiting tables at Murphy’s in Virginia-Highland).

When you learn more about what the brothers actually do at Bike Guy, it feels very much like an anachronism—suited to the tastes of 1950s America (cue Lassie and Mr. Wilson). It works like this: Bike Guy buys coffee beans from Thompson Owen (a highly regarded coffee roaster who buys beans directly from farmers, which allows farmers to receive twice as much profit as fair-trade prices). White then roasts portions of the surplus in his home roaster and delivers the whole beans immediately, by bicycle, in Leifheit jars to the doorsteps of his clients—much like your old-fashioned milkman would. When customers empty their quarter- or half-pound jars (sizes and frequency of delivery varies), they put the jars outside before White’s pre-planned delivery time—established via email or phone call (once- or twice-weekly deliveries are available)—and wait for White to swap it out with a new batch. Some folks even opt to put their payments or tips inside the jar.

“We call it farm-to-mug,” White says. “I purchase coffee at [50 percent higher than] fair-trade prices and attempt to nurture relationships with coffee farmers and everyone along the entire spectrum from farm to cup.” His brother handles behind-the-scenes tasks like managing his routes, schedules and delivery logistics.

It’s easy to fall in love with the idea—you’re benefiting farmers, you’re sidestepping environmental impact, you’re sipping on gourmet coffee delivered to your doorstep—but the best part of the grassroots operation is what’s in the cup. It’s some of the freshest brew you can get your hands on, and you don’t have to lift a finger to get it. But there’s more: “We try to educate people on the best way to make coffee with whatever they have at home [free of charge, if you’re a subscriber],” White says. “We’ll be happy to teach you how to clean your coffee machine, tell you what kind of grinder you need, what ratio of water-to-coffee to use… it’s all about educating people.”

The company is still in its infancy, but the White brothers have big dreams for Bike Guy. With plans for a newer, better bike, a retail location in Virginia-Highland (currently in the works), and a fleet of delivery guys and baristas, the brothers hope to reach coffee aficionados all over the city with their luxury delivery service. Down the road, once things really get going, White wants to hire and train a roaster and start importing his own beans. Until then, the duo is content with saving the little bit of the earth that they can, one home delivery at a time.