Solid Ground For All
OUR STORY
Julie and TJ Fairchild started Commonplace in 2003, but their desire to be a part of coffee started in the mid-90’s…
We both had our start in coffee at Cup a Joe in Raleigh, North Carolina. We worked in coffee shops through undergrad and grad school. We fell in love with coffee in college. Not just coffee but the coffee shop culture: a place like no other, no rush to leave, quiet time to read, study, reflect, or time to socialize with others, meet new people – it opened our world. As we traveled, (this is where those VW buses come in) we always looked for local coffee shops, but we didn’t always find places that we felt did a good job of making good coffee and providing the atmosphere we envisioned. We had an understanding of what we loved about coffee culture and wanted to create it elsewhere. We knew we never wanted to leave coffee – it had become so much a part of who we were as individuals and as a couple.
Commonplace was born out of a desire to love coffee and love people. We fell in love with coffee as much as we loved serving it to people. We see coffee as a way to build community; as such, we see Commonplace as a community builder – a way to care for people through making beautiful coffees in neighborhood spaces.
OUR CRAFT
At Commonplace, we love when things are the very best version they can be. When we aren’t behind bar, roasting coffee, fixing espresso machines, or the many other things that happen within Commonplace, you’ll often find us making things at home and in our communities. We’re potters, carpenters, painters, knitters, illustrators, cooks, mechanics, and so much more.
Craft can be considered the meeting place of art and science. To us, the term “craft” applies directly to the process of making coffee. We use the artistic side to decide where we want to take our coffee, and the science behind the process to make the idea replicable and the best it can be. Just like other artists and scientists, we get excited about sharing our craft with others. We love hosting classes and events that show people how complex, surprising, and fun coffee can be. We hope you think it’s fun too!Â
The goal with Commonplace has been to create a space through coffee where people, whether it be our employees or customers, feel welcome and all the various parts of their lives can meet at a place of confluence. A place that can be accessible to everyone. As described in the namesake poem, Commonplace aims to be solid ground for all. Now 16 years later, with three young boys, more than 50 staff members and their families, eight coffee shops, a roasting, equipment service, training and wholesale operation as well as a bakery and ENDLESS friends, customers, and neighbors, we see Commonplace continuing this vision for many years to come.