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My Name Is Joe Coffee Co., the daytime food trailer from chef Philip Speer, is now closed, according to a Facebook post. The announcement noted that “in an effort to grow the philanthropic part of my mission and focus on fundraising, I’ve decided to close my trailer.” Read the full message below.
Along with serving breakfast, lunch, and coffee, My Name Is Joe focused on giving back to those recovering from addiction. A portion of the sales went towards Serenity Star Recovery’s donation-based restaurant Comfort Cafe in Smithville. The trailer also hired those in recovery.
However, “My Name Is Joe is not dead,” according to Speer. While the downtown trailer won’t operate, he told Eater he will still continue to focus on fundraising efforts for Serenity Star. The trailer raised over $50,000 last year, which Serenity Star used to complete its women’s and family centers. “We just decided that this is more impactful on the financial side.”
Speer said that many of My Name Is Joe staffers now work at Bonhomie, Holy Roller, and Juniper. He wants to continue to help place people from Serenity Star and Comfort Cafe into Austin restaurant jobs.
My Name Is Joe debuted in February 2017. The coffee program, which featured beans from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, was overseen by Tyler Wells. Speer already has his own restaurant up in Allandale, the French brasserie-American diner Bonhomie, which opened a month later in March 2017.
My Name Is Joe Coffee Co.’s Shutter Announcement
In recovery, we often have to make difficult choices in order to continue to grow.
What that growth looks like for me, is different than what I had in mind when I started this journey.
In an effort to grow the philanthropic part of my mission and focus on fundraising, I’ve decided to close my trailer.
Thank you everyone for your patronage and cheers to new beginnings.
This article has been updated with comments from Philip Speer.
