Commitment to Community

By: William Dakin

Coming from a small town of just over 3,500 people, the only thing I knew was “Community." Traveling to San Francisco in April was a huge step, visiting one of the largest cities in the United States. I expected individuality; every man for himself. I thought business owners wouldn’t have the time or motivation  to help their local community. To my surprise , a majority of the businesses I encountered prioritize the local community.

While in Napa, NMGZ broke us into teams to help advise two local coffee companies.  We talked about marketing, subscriptions, and. The coffee company I helped was Ohm Coffee. Being a team leader on this project allowed me to personally speak to Derek Bromley, the founder and owner of OHM Coffee Roasters.

  Derek has an amazing sense of community. Because their coffee shop is run out of a food truck, community is essential for their brand’s success. .. Over dinner, Derek talked about the festivals and weddings his coffee truck has catered.. Every Tuesday and Saturday, they serve coffee at the Napa farmers market.  I grew up around farmers markets and they were always the core of community involvement.  I love how the produce and products are made  by community members, for community members. Ohm Coffee wants to be a company that does just that. They want to be a place for the community to hang out, relax, and connect. Derek and Ohm Coffee have found a way to keep that core value of coffee shops, even on the road. .

Going forward, Derek hopes to open  a brick-and-mortar location, a coffee roastery. Derek is a musician in the band “Mama Said,” which often performs in the Napa Valley area. The coffee roastery will give local musicians and bands a place to perform..

Traveling from Newcomerstown, a town with 3,800 people to San Francisco, home to 875,000, I never thought I would find a similar sense of community among businesses and their customers. The community within NMGZ is what sets us apart. Finding a similar connection in Ohm Coffee made my trip to San Francisco extra special.  ​

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