If you've ever wondered who’s behind the coffee at your favorite local spot in the South, the answer may be Frothy Monkey Coffee Roasters. Part all-day café, part specialty coffee roaster, part wholesale bakery, this Nashville mainstay has spent more than two decades building its brand around relationships, both with the farmers who grow the coffee and the neighbors who drink it.
That commitment to relationships is exactly why WithMe chose Frothy Monkey to be our SipWithMe regional preferred roaster in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. We didn’t just want great beans. We wanted to work with a team that sees coffee the way we do, as a way to bring people together and make every space feel welcoming.
The Frothy Monkey story begins in 2004, when a 1.2K-square-foot bungalow in Nashville's transitioning 12South neighborhood was transformed into a coffee shop serving classic coffee drinks and light breakfast fare.
Around that same time, Ryan Pruitt was touring Europe with his band. He found himself enamored with the way the coffee shops there were true neighborhood gathering spots, serving guests great food and drinks at any time of day. Every country had its own coffee culture, but the commitment to hospitality and inclusion was consistent. Unlike the hurried lines and drive-thrus back home, European cafés were warm, welcoming, and inviting.
When Ryan returned to Nashville in 2006, Frothy Monkey immediately caught his attention. Locals were constantly congregating, and the team welcomed people from all walks of life. Inspired by the shop’s potential, Ryan joined the management team and eventually rose through the ranks to become general manager. In 2011, alongside a small group of investors, he purchased the company with a clear goal, to combine the warmth of a coffeehouse with the hospitality of a full restaurant.
To bring his “All Day Café” concept to life, Ryan started with the menu, focusing on fresh, healthy food. Microwaves were permanently removed from the kitchen, and everything is made from scratch, using proprietary recipes and local ingredients whenever possible. And just like his beloved European cafés, Frothy Monkey also pours adult beverages.
As the menu, kitchen, and operating hours all expanded, so did the café’s popularity. The team began bringing their signature hospitality to new neighborhoods, intentionally investing in areas where they could be a contributing neighbor. In each new location, they moved into historic and pre-existing buildings in an effort to honor the neighborhood’s heritage and give iconic structures new life. Today, the company operates five cafés in the greater Nashville area, two in Birmingham, and one in Chattanooga.
With every new opening, Ryan hopes neighbors walk in expecting great coffee and leave excited to have found a place where they can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks in a creative and approachable atmosphere.
Even with multiple full-service restaurants and a wholesale bakery to run, coffee has always been the heart of Frothy Monkey. In 2014, growing sales and a desire to know what was going into every cup led them to bring roasting in-house.
The team at Frothy Money Coffee Roasters fervently believes that coffee should be deeply known and roasted in ways that honor its origin. They’ve sustained several sourcing relationships for more than 20 years, some of which are older than the original café. Throughout the decades, they've watched farms adopt more sustainable practices and new generations take over family operations. Instead of chasing the lowest price each season, they've set up pricing that supports partnerships for the long haul. It's slower and more personal than the usual approach, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Those relationships show up in their impressive product lineup, built around seven signature coffees. Single origins from around the world rotate with the seasons, and limited releases give regulars something new to look forward to. Cold brew fans get a smooth, crisp blend roasted just for them, sold as whole beans, in cans, and on draft. And for busy mornings, single-serve packs deliver three of their signature blends in a few seconds.
The entire company is driven by a simple motto.
“Take care of each other.”
That sentiment shapes how they treat guests, how they support the communities around their cafés and how they invest in their own people. From hosting competitions for their baristas to backing a long list of charitable and civic organizations, Frothy Monkey lives out their values day in and day out. With such an impressive track record of generosity, inclusion, and hospitality (oh yeah, and great coffee), it’s no surprise Frothy Monkey has earned multiple
Best Coffee Shop
monikers over the years.
When we went looking for a roaster partner, we wanted one who takes care of people, from the farmers they've worked with for decades to the neighbors who fill their cafés. Frothy Monkey has been doing exactly that for more than twenty years, and now that care reaches every SipWithMe community brewing their coffee. Taking care of each other is how they've always done business, and it's how we do ours.
Learn more about Frothy Monkey’s cafés at frothymonkey.com and their specialty roasting division at https://frothymonkeycoffee.com/. And if you want to start happily brewing Frothy Monkey, talk to a rep!
