Javaheads can get a sneak peek at an episode of a documentary series that focuses on the Panhandle’s love of fine coffee.
A Season 2 episode of Coffee: The Universal Language will shine a spotlight on Palace Coffee Co., The 806 Coffee + Lounge and Herencia Coffee in Dumas, and local audiences can watch it early at a June 27 screening at Amarillo Little Theatre, 2019 Civic Circle. Brick & Elm‘s own Jason Boyett will emcee the event and lead a panel discussion after the screening.
I recently spoke with Palace co-owner Krystal Burns about how the filmmakers found their way to Amarillo, how the city changed the plans for this season, and why she’s a little nervous about the screening. (This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.)
Chip Chandler: So what is Coffee: The Universal Language?
Krystal Burns: This is going to be Season 2. It’s a company out of San Diego, N+D Media. Nes and Darla Rodriguez started doing this documentary to showcase how coffee brings community together. They wanted to highlight not only specialty coffee, but the cities that specialty coffee is in and then the entrepreneurs that have gotten into specialty coffee.
CC: Well then, why is coffee the universal language?
KB: I mean, I really do think it’s because of the community that it brings. When we started Palace, Patrick [Krystal’s husband and co-owner] really wanted to do a coffee shop because you get to see your regulars more frequently than, say, if you were doing a restaurant. There, you might see them once a week. But in a coffee shop, you really get to see the same people in and out of your door on a day-to-day basis, and then it allows you to build that further community with them. For us, too, it’s important to have a safe space where everyone feels welcome and included. Patrick grew up kind of having a lot of different types of friend groups, and it always bothered him when people were left out on the outskirts. And so we just created a place where we could be the ones bringing everybody in. We’ve watched Season 1 of the series, and in every single episode, there are unique stories, but they all go back to community.
CC: The first season is streaming on the PBS app. Do you know when this episode will premiere beyond this screening?
KB: They’re saying late July, early August. It’s always free on the PBS app, and it’ll also be on Tubi and Amazon Prime. Patrick and I have to watch it live with everybody else. We won’t have viewed it early, which is kind of crazy. Kind of nerve-racking a little bit.
CC: How did you get selected for the show in the first place?
KB: Nes and Darla were on their way back from filming the first part of Season 2, and they stopped off in Amarillo on their way back. They found Palace, and Patrick just happened to be there. Our director of retail operations, Cole Davis, said, “Hey, you should meet this couple that’s out on the patio. They’re shooting a documentary series.” And so Patrick went out and started talking to them for basically over an hour and a half. We knew a lot of the people that they were featuring, and they thought that was crazy because we’re over here in Amarillo, Texas, which sometimes would be considered a coffee desert, even though we have a coffee shop on every corner in Amarillo. People who like specialty coffee are usually from the East Coast or West Coast. So finding it in the middle of Texas surprises people.
We later asked Nes what made them choose us. He said our cortado. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but he said it was one of the best cortados that he had had. When they left, they said they already had Season 2 fully booked, but that they might want to talk to us about Season 3. Well, they contacted us about two weeks later, and they said, “Hey, we cannot stop thinking about Amarillo. We cannot stop thinking about Palace, and we actually would like to bump a city and get you guys in on Season 2.”
Tickets are free, but reservations are requested.
Additional food-related highlights:
Cameron James Smith: 6 p.m. June 18; Walk On’s Sports Bistreaux, 3506 Soncy Road; 806-398-2003
Bryan Robertson: 7 p.m. June 18; 9th Inning Brews and Bites, 3130 S. Soncy Road; 806-358-2222
Music in the Gardens featuring The Rien Nash Band: 7 p.m. June 18; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive; admission $10 nonmembers, $5 members; 806-352-6513
Guidi & Friends: 7 p.m. June 18; Georgia Street Taphouse, 2001 S. Georgia St.; 806-803-7000
Bryan Robertson: 7 p.m. June 19; 9th Inning Brews and Bites, 3130 S. Soncy Road; 806-358-2222
Jaywalking: 7 p.m. June 19; Teddy Jack’s, 5080 S. Coulter St.; 806-322-0113
The Buster Bledsoe Band: 7:30 p.m. June 19; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; free; 806-335-5644
Boss 420: 8 p.m. June 19; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Mike Ryan: 8 p.m. June 19; The Lumberyard, 850 N. 23rd St. in Canyon; tickets $30.95 to $55.70, plus fees; 806-804-3000
Yesterday’s Fable: 8 p.m. June 19; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050
Logan Ellis & The Fever Dream: 9 p.m. June 19; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
The Stonewall Hippies with Landon Fisher: 9 p.m. June 19; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Canyon Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon June 20; continues through Sept. 26; Fourth Avenue and 15th Street in Canyon; 806-567-0746
Sunset Marketown: 8 a.m. to noon June 20; continues through Sept. 19; Arts in the Sunset, 3701 Plains Blvd.; 806-354-8802
Willie Chuck: 6 p.m. June 20; Bar Z Winery, 19290 Farm-to-Market Road 1541; 806-488-2214
Bring Me the Gypsee: 7:30 p.m. June 20; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; free; 806-335-5644
The Chad Feemster Band: 8 p.m. June 20; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Next Stop Comedy: 8 p.m. June 20; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050
Back in the Saddle: 9 p.m. June 20; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Jason Eady & The Midnight River Choir: 9 p.m. June 20; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
The Tejas Brothers: 5 p.m. June 21; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Wild Life: 9 p.m. June 21; The 806 Coffee + Cafe, 2812 S.W. Sixth Ave.; no cover, donations accepted; 806-322-1806
High Noon on the Square with Andy Chase & Friends: 11:45 a.m. June 24; 501 S. Fillmore St.; lunch $12; 806-372-6744
Wibby Wednesday with Ansley Beedy: 7 p.m. June 24; Six Car Pub & Brewery, 625 S. Polk St.; 806-576-3396
Music in the Gardens featuring Tennessee Tuckness: 7 p.m. June 25; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive; admission $10 nonmembers, $5 members; 806-352-6513
John Cooper: 8 p.m. June 25; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Kolton Moore & The Clever Few: 8 p.m. June 25; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
art after dark: 7 p.m. June 26; Amarillo Museum of Art, 2200 S. Van Buren St.; tickets $35 nonmembers, free for members; 806-371-5050
Cameron James Smith: 7:30 p.m. June 26; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; free; 806-335-5644
Dueling Pianos Night One: 9 p.m. June 26; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; tickets $25 and up; 806-412-4251
Jen Williams & The Potty Mouths: 8 p.m. June 26; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Kelly Hastey Band: 9 p.m. June 26; Western Horseman, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Road Trip: 6 p.m. June 27; Golden Light Beer & Wine Garden, 6014 S. Western St.; 806-221-2337
Creed and Stone Temple Pilots Tribute Concert with Weathered and San & Tone Pilots: 7:30 p.m. June 27; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; tickets $24.33 and up; 806-335-5644
Jason Boland & The Stragglers: 8 p.m. June 27; The Lumberyard, 850 N. 23rd St. in Canyon; tickets $34.45, plus fees; 806-804-3000
Juju’s Jukebox: 8 p.m. June 27; Smokey Joe’s, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698
Boss Texas Band: 9 p.m. June 27; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Dueling Pianos Night Two: 9 p.m. June 27; Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; tickets $25 and up; 806-412-4251
Taylor Lowe & Friends with Psyck: 9 p.m. June 27; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
High Noon on the Square with Texas: 11:45 a.m. July 1; 501 S. Fillmore St.; lunch $12; 806-372-6744
Bryan Robertson: 7 p.m. July 1; Teddy Jack’s, 5080 S. Coulter St.; 806-322-0113
Cameron James Smith: 6 p.m. July 2; Walk On’s Sports Bistreaux, 3506 Soncy Road; 806-398-2003
Email submissions to info@brickandelm.com.
