Fueled By Freedom - Urban Sailor Coffee
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Tyler Anderson and his son Archer started Urban Sailor Coffee from the side car of a Ural motorcycle. Since then, they’ve opened two coffee shops in the Salt Lake City area and purchased a roasting business to help them develop the brand’s distinctive Nordic style coffee.
With the help of Archer and his three brothers, this family run business take pride in their high-quality coffee and distinct atmosphere their customer love. The family team is fueled by freedom, grateful for quality time together and inspired by the outdoors and recreation potential just at their doorstep.
Fueled By Freedom
Following a dream takes courage. But the catalyst to take those first few steps for some is fear.
Not fear of the uncertainty, the failure, or the sacrifice, but the fear of regret. Of getting older and never really knowing what could have happened if you had pursued that idea or gone down the road less traveled. Instead, you settled into the warm embrace of a secure job with good benefits and a great retirement plan. The longer you remain, the tighter that embrace can feel.
Tyler’s dream was coffee. Not just coffee, but carefully roasted coffee enjoyed by his patrons in a cozy, comfortable, and inviting space. He was afraid of the feeling of regret he may have to face 10 or 20 years from now when he asked himself, “I wonder what would have happened if I…” A question many young and old creatives with a dream can relate to.
With more than two decades in the digital marketing industry, he had exactly what he needed to coast towards retirement. But when the pandemic swooped through the nation, it gave him the time and perspective he needed to reevaluate his life plan and to follow through with his fifteen-year-old dream to start a coffee business.
It Begins on a Motorcycle.
The sound of a motorcycle engine was never far from Tyler’s life, especially growing up in rural Alberta, Canada. He’s had as many as 8 bikes in the garage at one time in various stages of repair.
When he relocated to Utah, raising his family took him away from bikes for a time, but he reconnected with two wheels later in life, and they remain a reliable and consistent source of throttle therapy.
With Tyler’s background in motorcycles and his son Archer’s newfound love of riding motorcycles, it seemed logical to combine the two things they loved most to start their business. They brainstormed and they eventually decided to convert a Ural sidecar motorcycle into a coffee shop on wheels. These legendary bikes are known worldwide for their reliability and analog aesthetic. Why not sell coffee from them?
They started selling coffee from the side car in early 2021. This wasn’t a drip machine plugged into an outlet; it was a full-scale espresso bar on wheels. They rode the bike to music and art festivals and made drinks for eager patrons who admired the bike almost as much as the coffee.
This positive experience gave them the confidence needed to open up the first Urban Sailor Coffee shop in December 2021. The second one followed shortly after in June 2022. But don’t worry; the side car hasn’t gone anywhere.
Tyler Reconnects with KÜHL
Some coffee shops prioritize the aesthetic experience of drinking coffee in their establishment. While this is important to Tyler, the coffee was just as important. Shortly after opening their first shop, he decided to buy a coffee roasting company so they could control the entire roasting process from start to finish.
Rewind almost 25 years ago and Tyler was running a Mountaineering shop in Ogden, UT that sold Alfs gear. He was a fan of the products. Years later he was happy to learn the roasting company he bought roasted coffee for KÜHL. He had come full circle without even realizing it.
Smooth and easy with chocolate, nut, citrus and lemon flavors that are sweet and clean.
Roasted by: Urban Sailor Coffee.
Tyler specializes in Nordic style coffee. This coffee has a lighter roast, and the flavor is more delicate and nuanced then the darker style roasts that they also roast in smaller quantities since they remain popular. He focuses more on natural coffee, instead of washed coffee. With natural coffee, the entire coffee cherry is dried before the coffee bean is removed. Since the coffee bean is in contact with the fruit as it dries, it develops unique flavors and characteristics you can’t get with washed coffee, because the bean is removed from the fruit before drying begins.
Quality Time
Running a family coffee business came with perks Tyler didn’t anticipate when the business took off. His favorite one: quality time with his four sons. The two oldest sons are very involved in the business – one of them heads up the day-to-day café operations and the other has become the head roaster.
The two younger brothers help from behind the counter as baristas as they finish up high school and college. This quality time with each other has been a tremendous gift for this family and something they don’t take for granted.
Beyond the Brew
Tyler and his sons want to continue their quest for the perfect cup of coffee in Salt Lake City with their distinct Nordic style light roast. They’ll continue to build the brand, ride motorcycles and relish the quality time they get with each other.
Visit Urban Sailor Coffee at their two locations in Salt Lake City, the Sugar House or the Post District and keep up with them on social media for their latest coffee offerings – @urbansailorcoffee. Hosting an event? You should book the Ural motorcycle coffee bar for bonus points.
The Urban Sailor Outfit
