Chef Philip Speer Gives Back With Charitable Coffee Trailer

Never one to sit still, chef Philip Speer is launching a coffee trailer with a charitable bent. My Name Is Joe Coffee Co. is opening in downtown Austin along 501 Colorado Street starting tomorrow, Thursday, February 2.

Speer, whose past with drugs and alcohol is known, sees the trailer as a way to give back to the community and to help those who struggle with those same dependencies. 1.2 percent of all My Name Is Joe sales will be donated to Comfort Cafe, a donation-only restaurant in Smithville which is run by residents of addiction treatment center Serenity Star Recovery.

"Coffee is how we address addiction in the service industry and beyond," said partner William Ball (who also owns cocktail bar Garage) said in a release. "We're creating a workplace for people in recovery where sobriety and a love for food and coffee cannot only coexist, but thrive."

Speer also noted to Eater that My Name Is will employ people in recovery, giving them the chance to “come back to the industry that they love in a conscious environment.”

The Airstream trailer will brew up coffee and espresso done up by Tyler Wells, who knows his roasts very well. He worked at Progress Coffee and Frank, and is the founder of Nice Coffee out in Los Angeles. Beans from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters will be used for coffee, lattes, and cappuccinos. Also on deck are horchata, cold brew, nitro cold brew, and more.

Julie Cope Photography

Food will be served as well, with a healthy-bent. This means almond butter toast, brown rice porridge, a take on avocado toast with oats (dubbed “avocado t’oats”), granola and yogurt, and more. Everything will be available to dine and drink at the trailer or to-go.

This isn’t the first time Speer and Ball have worked together before: the chef created the parking garage cocktail bar’s food menu last year. Speer is also on the heels of opening his own restaurant, Bonhomie, set to make its Allandale debut in mid-February.

Once My Name Is Joe Coffee Co. opens, its hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekdays.

• My Name Is Joe Coffee Co. [Official]
• My Name Is Joe Coffee Co. [Facebook]
• My Name Is Joe Coffee Co. [Instagram]