Pinewood Coffee Co. Branches Out from Nashville’s Pinewood Social

The Pinewood Coffee Co. roastery is within the Monarch Showroom in Nashville. All images courtesy of Pinewood Coffee Co.

From the people behind Nashville restaurant, bar and recreational space Pinewood Social, a new coffee roasting company called Pinewood Coffee Co. is launching with wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales.

A dedicated space within the Monarch Showroom for luxury vehicles now houses the Pinewood Coffee roastery. The brand is launching with four blends, five single-origins and one decaf, all roasted by Nashville coffee industry veteran Robbie Melton.

(Editor’s note: Pinewood Coffee Co. in Nashville is not affiliated with another coffee roaster from Waco, Texas, under the name Pinewood.)

Melton’s experience includes work with Barista Parlor, Good Citizen Coffee Company and Steadfast Coffee. He said he’s seeking to bring out sweetness, clarity and natural character in coffees roasted as samples on a Roest S100 prior to production batches on a Loring S15 Falcon roaster.

Green coffees come through importers including Bridging Tables, Hacienda La Minita, Honduran producer José Balbino Meza, the Long Miles Coffee Project and others.

“We work with importers and producers who share Pinewood Coffee’s values of stewardship, long-term trust and quality,” Melton told Daily Coffee News. “We also work with other trusted co-ops and estates that meet our sourcing priorities [of] ethical and transparent labor practices, environmental responsibility and long-term producer partnerships.”

Pinewood Social was founded in 2013 by Ben and Max Goldberg of the Nashville restaurant group Strategic Hospitality, offering elevated comfort food, craft cocktails, six bowling lanes, two splash pools and live events. The firm sold its remaining shares of the business in 2023, and current owners include Anthony Sanfilippo, Florence Sudduth and Carlos Ruisanchez.

Pinewood Social is continuing to rely on Nashville mainstay Crema Coffee Roasters for its coffee program.

“Crema has been a valued partner for years, and remains so,” Pinewood Coffee Founder and Director of Business Development Jake Sudduth told DCN. “There’s room in Nashville’s coffee scene for longtime partners and new entrants. We’re focused on carving our place thoughtfully.”

Jake Sudduth co-owns Monarch Showroom with Sanfilippo. The Pinewood Coffee space includes a full kitchen and dining area for tastings and samples, and Monarch uses it for community and charity events. Pinewood Coffee is planning public and private cuppings and tastings in the coming months, though the space isn’t intended as a retail cafe.

“The roastery is designed for both production and education, including cuppings, training sessions and partner visits,” said Sudduth. “We’re focused on building strong wholesale partnerships and growing our DTC audience. Longer term, we’re working on the design of our flagship Pinewood Coffee Co. retail experience.”

[Note: This story has been updated. The original version incorrectly identified the current owners of Pinewood Social as the founders. Pinewood Social was founded in 2013 by Ben and Max Goldberg of the Nashville restaurant group Strategic Hospitality, which sold its remaining shares in 2023.]

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