Monogram: Can you share a bit about Dayglow Coffee's origin story and how it has evolved over the last 6 years?
Dayglow: When I started Neon, my goal was to be a marketplace for independent roasters all around the world to be showcased. Being a touring musician for most of my life, I’ve met some of my closest friends in countless incredible shops around the world. It was that sense of community that drove me to open Neon.
We eventually became Dayglow and over time our cafes started growing, our menus, our relationships. Our cafes rotate through a seasonal ‘creations’ menu that breaks the barriers of coffee. We are able to create beautiful coffee drinks that are almost like cocktails. Our Brooklyn location is a coffee, bar, and brewery that really showcases all things you can do with coffee.
We are still opening new shops around the U.S., but our goals are still the same: to showcase the best, most beautiful coffees from around the world.
Monogram: What inspired Dayglow to start featuring guest coffee roasters in your subscription program?
Dayglow: We feel the name Dayglow truly embodies how we feel when it comes to highlighting vibrancy and refined roasting. We like to support small independent roasters doing exciting things and build awareness for their brand. Our focus is to showcase bright and sweet coffees, and with Dayglow, our coffee program will be even more selective.
What’s truly exciting about Dayglow as a brand is that it’s more than just coffee. It’s about community with those around you. It’s the friendships that are made when you least expect it. Most importantly, it’s about the many small things, whether it be a great cup of coffee, the joy of riding a bike, or playing an instrument you love. It’s what makes your Dayglow.
Monogram: How do you curate the roasters that you feature in your subscription, and what drew you to Monogram?
Dayglow: Lauren, our Director of E-commerce, spends a lot of time getting in contact with new roasters around the world. I spend a lot of my time cupping different coffees, connecting with roasters, and searching for beautiful coffees from around the world.
We received samples from Monogram and were reintroduced to the team during SCA in Chicago. We had a Bolivian coffee from Monogram and were completely blown away. After connecting with Amy and tasting some more of Monogram’s coffee, I was excited to get my hands on their offerings to share with our U.S. customers! I feel very spoiled when it comes to coffee, and I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to taste so many coffees. I feel even more grateful to be able to give people in the States more access to these coffees. We are trying our best to connect people in the States with a quality product from across the globe that they would not normally have access to.
Monogram: What trends in the specialty coffee industry are you most excited about, and how is Dayglow embracing these trends?
Dayglow: Distilled coffee has been a fun project for us. Our cafes have beautiful coffee drinks that push the boundaries of coffee. Coffee continues to inspire us in every way.
Monogram: How does Dayglow Coffee ensure consistency and quality across the different roasters and coffee varieties you feature?
Dayglow: In our Chicago HQ office, we cup and grade the coffees with our team. Each tier in our subscription varies in quality of the cup. We make sure that each tier offers something different from one another.
We also want to make sure that we are highlighting each roaster properly. With the assistance of the guest roaster, we make sure that we are presenting the best coffees they have available.
Monogram: How does offering a curated selection of coffees from around the world provide solutions for your community?
Dayglow: Our Discovery subscription aims to make beautiful, unique coffees more accessible to people in the States. There are a lot of hidden fees when it comes to importing a single bag of coffee from outside of the States, so we do the work to bring in those coffees, pay those fees, and present them to you at a more affordable price.
During the month that a roaster is in our subscription, we also buy a wide variety of their retail options, giving people more than three options all at once. This helps people explore these roasters to the fullest extent. All of our Dayglow Coffee cafes also serve the subscription coffee on their menu for that month. This helps us highlight who we are working with, and we do our very best to present them in the best way possible.
We focus on giving everyone a unique and special experience. I truly believe that we are giving people a worldly experience in our cafes and at home.
Monogram: Looking ahead, what are Dayglow’s goals and visions for the future, and how do collaborations with roasters like Monogram play a part in that?
Dayglow: The coffee world is forever growing, forever changing, and we are just here to grow and evolve with it. We are excited about what each roaster has to offer, and we will continue searching to create new relationships with roasters and teams like Monogram. We are always looking to connect with others and are excited about what makes them excited about coffee. We are exposed to so many different roasters from so many different places that we continue to grow and be inspired by you all! Monogram has been amazing to work with, and the work they are doing in the coffee industry and fostering community really drew us to them. They have an amazing offering list of coffees that can really benefit people at any stage of their coffee journey. We are excited to continue working with Monogram. They will be featured in our online marketplace and all of our Dayglow Cafes for the month of July.
We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the vibrant world of Dayglow. Stay tuned for more exciting collaborations and coffee adventures!