Konner Dudley started drinking coffee at his church. It was the adult thing to do and he was ready to be a grown up. “My grandmother would make Folger’s so strong a fork would stand up in it.” Church, family and his hometown of Auburn, Illinois are driving forces behind Konner’s life decisions. One of those decisions was to start Redbud Coffee in 2016.

I met Konner after a triathlon in Springfield when he invited into his mobile coffee shop, complete with an onboard roaster. The caffeinatedathlete blog has a dual focus; coffee and athletic endeavors. I go to a town for a race and check out the local coffee shops while I’m there. Pretty simple. When I saw the Redbud Coffee Company truck near the finish corral, I thought it would be foolish to pass up the opportunity. It was such a pleasant experience and great conversation!

Check out Redbud Coffee’s web site http://www.redbudcoffee.com to hear their story and see a very tasteful site from a super-classy guy. Although he is well-aware of the coffee-snob label, one conversation with Konner reveals anything but snobbery. A deeper dive into his business shows a thoughtful, ethical model that focuses on coffee as the vehicle to positively impact people’s lives.

But back to the coffee. I had my go-to safety cup, an Americano. Konner pulled a beautiful shot of espresso from a blend of their carefully sourced beans. A honey processed Brazil, Guatemala Huehuetenango and Rwanda Mission are the freshly roasted beans featured by Redbud and available for personal home delivery in the Auburn area or my parcel elsewhere.

Committed to their community, Redbud Coffee has plans for a brick and mortar location in Auburn some day. Until then, they operate out of a converted 24 foot straight truck. While Redbud has been roasting beans for about three years, the mobile truck is a recent addition.  “The food truck scene is really growing in Springfield and nobody else was doing custom coffee.”

Festivals, farmers markets and sporting events are all opportunities Redbud Coffee Company takes to expose people to their coffee. For me, one cup was enough to want more. I bought a bag of Rwanda and am thoroughly satisfied with it. It’s a light city roast which I feel helps bring out the sweeter flavors of the beans. Next for me will be the honey process Brazil.

It was a great day for a race in Springfield. Talking with Konner over a good cup of coffee was an excellent way to spend my time while awaiting the awards ceremony.