There’s an uprising of caffeine in Kelowna.
After three seasons at Kelowna’s Farmers Market, co-owners Bailey Mitchell and Jesse Nelson have found Anarchy Coffee a permanent home.
“This has been a four-year project in the making,” said Mitchell. “We started roasting coffee in my old shed in Whistler and the plan was to move to Kelowna, be closer to family and get this thing going just to be a bit more of a bigger brand and project and become a job for ourselves.”
Both originating from Ottawa, Mitchell and Nelson went to Selkirk College together in Nelson and then worked different jobs together in Whistler. While there the love of coffee started.
“It just started in our own kitchen,” said Mitchell. “Just trying to have that perfect coffee every morning and it turned into a deep rabbit hole.”
Over time, they would try different local coffees and roasters, trying to find what a good cup of coffee was in their eyes. Mitchell says he also got inspiration and the idea to eventually turn his coffee into a business when he was in Thailand. When he was there, he visited a coffee plantation, bought beans and brought them home. He continued to play around with different ways of making coffee in his workshop, including using a stove top and a barbecue.
With Nelson’s wife from the Kamloops area and Mitchell’s family moving to Kelowna to retire, the two of them also decided to move to the area and start their coffee business out of a mobile trailer. In 2021, they opened their stand at the Kelowna Farmers Market and became a staple there for three years.
“We had three solid seasons at the farmer’s market with the mobile cafe, that was awesome,” adds Mitchell. “We’ve slowly been working towards this shop here which is now our home base - a roastery and a coffee bar.”
Their dream was always to eventually move to a permanent home and now they do at Unit C - 1880 Baron Road.
“The location is pretty good and the room is fantastic,” said Mitchell.
The couple not only share a love of coffee but also of punk rock music.
“Anarchism is a big punk rock methos and we are always trying to look for ways to have positive community involvement and that’s what anarchism is to us,” said Mitchell. “We are just trying to make a good difference in this world and if we can do that through coffee, hosting shows, getting people together, then we’re on a good track.”
“We love punk rock, we love music,” added Nelson, who’s also a concert promoter. “We have done band-collabs with coffees and it’s a good merch option for them.”
During their three years at the market, they made a lot of friends because of their passion for community involvement, they want to collaborate or get other local vendors involved with their coffee shop.
“We try to source from as many local vendors as possible, we met a lot of great makers and bakers and crafters at the Kelowna Farmers Market,” said Nelson.
So far, Anarchy Coffee has worked with Brutal Condiments, Alchemy Bread Company, Buffalo Rouge Brewing, and Italian Meat Master, and is planning to work with many more.
“It’s a good opportunity to combine all our favourite things,” said Mitchell.
Anarchy Coffee has a variety of different coffee flavours they’ve developed over the years that are available for customers to buy and take home.
“Our longest-running coffee is Zombie Eyes, it’s something that fits most palates and still has a unique flavour to it,” said Nelson. “It’s definitely a crowd-pleaser.”
The two of them are continuing to create more options available for everyone.
“It’s hard to pick a favourite, we try to have a good offering that suits something for everyone,” said Mitchell. “We’re always playing around and trying new beans out so there’s always something to pick your interest and something new and exciting to try out pretty regularly.”
At Anarchy Coffee, for every bagged purchase, a dollar goes to local organizations that help those experiencing homelessness by giving food, money, and clothing to people who need it.
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