By Shannon Alderman / Staff 

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

Percolating with the sounds of customers chatting, beans being ground, water gurgling, and cups being filled, Element Coffee Company in Milton, Georgia is abuzz with energy.  

Walk in and you are soothed by an inviting, warm aroma and by banter from the Cheers-esque baristas who often will not only remember your order but your name upon entrance. Like the title of the joint, you are in your Element the moment you saunter in and on the inside of the 1300 square foot coffee house, you can grab a quick coffee to go, grab a take-out treat, a bag of beans or take your perch upon one of their soft, comfy chairs or outside on the patio if the weather permits. 

Founded by Roswell residents Kim and Ben Collins, it is a thriving Indie coffee house serving aromatic, delightfully delicious coffee, food, side items and desserts in an intimate, relaxing, and inviting environment that sates you on a frenetic morning commute or at the end of a busy day. 

ON THE MENU: GRAB YOUR PASSPORT

Inspect their menu of coffees, teas and delightful eats, and prepare to travel the globe. They offer seasonal coffees, loose-leaf teas, and handcrafted espresso drinks from Intelligentsia's Black Cat Espresso Blends and Intelligentsia Single Origin Coffees. They also serve locally sourced fresh baked muffins, croissants, scones, and filling breakfast options as well as culinary driven lunch sandwiches sure to satisfy you.  

FROM FARM, TO COW, TO CUP

The Collins' are passionate about sourcing their products locally when they can and fairly as purveyors of international ingredients. Their milk comes locally from the Johnston Family Farm in Newborn, Georgia and their coffee is often times a direct trade product, "meaning that our coffees are imported from the farmers themselves, rather than garnered from brokers who act as middlemen from the farm, to the broker and then to the coffee shop or grocery store," Collins said. Without the burden of a broker, she added, the farmers often receive a higher price for their beans.  Some of their coffees also have "in season" labels and at Element, they are mindful to buy coffee beans seasonally, ensuring the fullest sensations with each sip.  

For scones and cinnamon rolls, they bring in baked goods from Lulu's bakery in Roswell and for croissants, bagels, breads, sandwiches and Ciabatta, they buy from Masada Bakery in Norcross, a top-notch Atlanta bakery dedicated to exacting Old World standards and offering many product lines that are certified organic. Their homemade chicken salad on a fresh croissant is the newest item on the Element menu and one not to be missed.

THE FIRST COFFEE SHOP EVER IN GEORGIA

In a week and a half, Element Coffee Company will be the only coffee house in Georgia to serve a coffee from the Stumptown Coffee Roasters, according to Kim.  "They are Portland based and a fantastic coffee roaster," she said. "The coffee will arrive Wednesday and we will train the staff on the proper ways to brew it. We will bring in several single origin coffees from Stumptown including the Bella Carmona- a "single origin" coffee."   They will be serving this first ever blend by next Saturday, she added and the Bella Carmona has flavor notes of raisin, milk chocolate and Minneola orange.

BATTLE OF THE BARISTAS: AHEAD OF THE COFFEE CURVE

Kim and Ben Collins have a staff of eight at Element Coffee Company and when the staff isn't working, they are training. "We do workshops every month and a half and any time a new coffee comes in and we are interested in cupping it, we learn the new profiles, and how best to brew it," she said. "We are serious about learning not only our customer wants but also the coffees we serve and how best to present them," she added. 

The baristas at Element also engage in local and national competitions to keep ahead of the coffee curve. In February, two Element baristas, Eden Marie Abramowicz and owner, Kim Collins, competed alongside some of the best baristas in the region in the Southeast Regional Barista Competition held at The King Plow Art Center in Atlanta.

MORE THAN A CUP OF JOE: A CUP OF CULTURE

The baristas at Element aren't just well versed at creating artistic images atop one's espresso or coffee drink. The coffee shop also hosts art events at the coffee house and they have eye-appealing art adorning their walls.  Recently, Element Coffee Company hosted a gallery night featuring the photographic art of pictorial biographer Alise Cua, born in Bucharest, Romania. Then, they featured the charcoal portraits and acrylic canvas paintings from Alisia Benavides.  Every six weeks, the coffee shop morphs into a gallery of sorts when they host a gallery night event featuring the artistic work of a local resident.

"We believe in community in every sense of the word. We want to be the place where friends say hello, students can study, residents can display their talents, where people can meet, and everyone can sit down and relax knowing they are supporting their community just by sitting with us for a while," Kim Collins said. "Not only are we here to provide a quality product and superior service, we are also here to help the community thrive," she added.

They host an open mic night every Wednesday.  They also host alternative brew workshops where onlookers learn, demonstration style, how to brew their own coffee and the entire brewing processes of the Chemex, French Press, Manual Pourover, and Aeropress machines led by a senior barista.

Head to their website and check out their weekly events listing and learn tips on brewing coffee and the best blends to buy. Customers will also learn tips on how to store your coffee, how to grind your coffee, and how brewing your coffee will contribute to the overall quality of your morning cup.  "With our economy and when money gets tight, people are looking for incredible customer service coupled with a quality product.  That is what we offer at Element," Collins said. "We are passionate about coffee and we love what we are doing."

A SIP OF ART

Upcoming events include an open mic night on April 7th from 6pm-8pm; Gallery Night with Chase Frisco: April 10th, 7pm-9pm serving Intelligentsia coffee, espresso beverages, and loose-leaf tea, along with a full breakfast and lunch menu all evening and the Alpharetta Arts Streetfest: April 24th and 25th, 10am-6pm both days. 

For more information about Element Coffee Company: www.elementcoffeeco.com. Phone: 770-752-7188

12635 Crabapple Road,
Milton, Georgia, 30004.