E87: Sunshine in a Mug: How One Woman Built a Coffee Community

A cup of coffee can be so much more than just a morning pick-me-up. For Summer Renee, founder of Summahtime Coffee, it represents community, connection, and the purest expression of life itself.

Summer's journey began with a challenge. Facing health issues that required a more flexible work arrangement, she purchased an 84-year-old horse trailer, gutted it completely, and transformed it into a mobile café. This resourceful beginning reflects the creative spirit that drives her business forward, now evolving into a full beverage trailer offering not just coffee but energizers, mocktails, and electrolyte drinks.

The inspiration behind Summahtime Coffee runs deeper than entrepreneurship. At 18, Summer traveled to Costa Rica for volleyball and fell in love with both coffee and the philosophy of "pura vida" (pure life) embraced by locals. This concept became the foundation of her business following the disconnection many felt after 2020. Her slogan—"it's always better when we have a cup together"—captures the essence of what makes her business special: genuine human connection with every transaction.

What differentiates Summer's approach is her commitment to presence. She values the brief moments with customers, believing that a simple exchange can positively impact someone's entire day. Working with local roaster Tal, she ensures quality in every cup, proudly claiming their worst espresso would still rank among the best in town. Now relocated to Fort Collins for better food truck opportunities, Summer is relaunching with potential rebranding as "Ray of Sunshine" or "Cup of Sunshine."

Follow Summer's journey on Instagram and Facebook to discover where this mobile café will appear next, and experience for yourself how a simple cup of coffee, served with intention and heart, can truly brighten your day. When you support Summahtime Coffee, you're not just getting a beverage—you're becoming part of a community dedicated to bringing a little more sunshine into everyday life.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of locallyroasted whiskey, barrel coffee
and even organic local milk?
Well, one such outfit might becloser than you think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
summer Renee, with SummertimeCoffee.
How's it going?
How's it going Summer?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Renee's great too.
I have two.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
First, names and people get them backwards all
the time.
I almost did that.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
Summer, summertime, sunshine, renee any of those is
what I go by.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, tell us all about your business Summer.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Oh it's good.
Well, I actually built thisbusiness, bought myself a 84, I
believe, horse trailer that wasup in Grand Junction, got it
hauled down here and gutted itall out and built a business out

(01:09):
of it, and then right now it isinto a mobile cafe is kind of
what I'm working with.
So and that was my first ideaand I was serving coffee, I met
some good friends Tal, he's theone that actually created the
recipe for the whiskey barrelroast and made a lot of cool

(01:34):
friends along the way.
And then I decided this newyear that we're going to
relaunch the business as abeverage trailer business as a
beverage trailer.
Therefore, put into I can domocktails, I can throw in
electrolyte drinks.
Right now I'm runningenergizers, which is actually

(01:55):
still coffee.
It's coming from the coffeeberry, which they use green
coffee, for, which I'm stilleducating myself on and just
using coffee in different ways.
So, so I'd love to partner withsomebody here in town and do
more teas and stuff like that,but we're expanding the vision
in my business currently.
So so far that's what I got.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
That's really neat.
In the world of coffee, whichis, you know, there's a lot, you
stand out.
That's neat.
Yes, how did you get into thebusiness?

Speaker 3 (02:30):
After my son started going to school, I unfortunately
had some health issues come upthat I needed to modify my life
and my work situation, so I washoping to work for myself,
obviously have flexible timesand schedules, and something

(02:50):
that always that I fell in lovewith actually was coffee in
Costa Rica, when I was 18, wetraveled out there for a
volleyball trip, and I learnedmore than just coffee there.
I fell in love with the peoplebecause they speak to you pura
vida, which means pure life.
So my brother, my sister, theysay hello, goodbye, pura vida.

(03:13):
So I kind of wanted to take alittle bit of that and some
sunshine and give pure life backto my community in different
forms not only just coffee, butalso drinks and be there for
others in our community, becauseafter 2020, everything felt
very disconnected and I feltlike I needed somebody there too

(03:36):
, and that's why my slogan isit's always better when we have
a cup together.
So even if you're just grabbingsomething real quick and going,
I am still present there to youknow.
Share that with you, and that'ssomething that I really enjoy
and I wanted that.
That's what made me stand out,too.

(03:57):
I enjoy my customers.
I want to get to know them.
I want to hear about yourmorning, even if it's as wild
and crazy as you think.
You know somebody else might behaving one too, or really
mellow and chill, and justwhatever it may be.
And then you know, and then yougo on with your coffee.
You have it all day, and thenyou're still thinking about that

(04:18):
like huh, wow, I started mymorning here and this is a
delicious cup and you know itgoes wherever you go and you
know I wanted to create thecommunity and be a part of
something like that and justfeel more connected was the main
goal, and just feel moreconnected was the main goal.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
What are some myths and misconceptions in the coffee
and or food truck platform forcoffee?

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Oh, like roach croaches, is that what you're
trying to get to?
I heard that word.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Now you've got to educate me.
What is that?

Speaker 3 (04:50):
Oh, like a cockroach.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
Oh, a roach coach.
Yeah, that's what you said,okay beautiful?

Speaker 3 (04:58):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
You were saying a rumor.
Yeah, well, you know what aresome misconceptions people have
about.
You know, I don't know gourmetcoffee or the food truck
business, you could go eitherdirection with that.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's not going to be at the snap of your fingers Like
you might have to be a littlepatient.
We're doing operating probablyat like a thousand percent
capacity in very little spacefor one.
So everything is organized likea well machine and sometimes it
takes a little bit more time,you know, and it's more of an

(05:40):
art.
So a lot of people that arestarting or have already
expanded, you know some starteda cart or trailer to eventually
get a brick and mortar and sothat that's somebody's art and
dream and vision and they get toshare it with the community.
So you know, like mainstreamcoffee shops they're going to be

(06:03):
busting out probably, dependingon how many machines they have,
they could do more than youknow a cup a minute.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
But who are your target customers and how are you
attracting them now?
Where do you park the foodtruck typically?

Speaker 3 (06:19):
currently I am relaunching, so I am under
construction and doing that.
I'm going to cut out, do somemore things and cut it out, but
I'm located pretty close to thecollege and my hopes and stuff
are to do a location over herethat I'm working on.
I would love to be a part ofthe parks Roland Moore is close

(06:42):
to us that I would like to be atand eventually City Park for
the Food Truck Tuesdays.
That's also a very competitiveplace.
I just moved to Fort Collinsabout a year ago because it
gives more opportunity for foodtrucks.
Here there's locations that arealready pre-approved so I can

(07:03):
show up and work, but that wasnot the case when I was out east
.
So I'm still getting my I wouldsay my route finalized after
and I'll do that after I finishmy construction so I can do like
relaunch and have exact dates.
So just a little bit more thanI thought.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
M-A-H-T-I-M-E.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
One word Summertime Coffee, yeah, what platform
online will people be able tosee your route?
I'll put it on everything,probably Facebook, instagram.
Tiktok's still a big thing, sowe'll do all of those.

(07:50):
I'll update the link page sothat they'll all be connected to
.
In general, I will probably bechanging my name because of that
.
A lot of my European friendsthey all called me Sama.
They never use any Rs, so Ithought it was pretty catchy.
But now that I see it's kind ofhaving some trouble.
So keep a lookout for like Rayof Sunshine or a cup of sunshine

(08:14):
, something like that.
Keep a lookout for like Ray ofSunshine or a cup of sunshine,
something like that.
That's going to be, you know,still still summertime coffee,
but maybe a rebranding, relaunch, kind of, is what I'm looking
for.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, maybe sunshine mugged.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Sunshine mugged.

Speaker 2 (08:28):
Sorry, this isn't my profession.

Speaker 3 (08:30):
No, I like it, thank you.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
Mugging sunshine, sorry, anyway.
So tell us outside of work whatyou do for fun, if there is
such a thing.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
So I have been a pretty avid volleyball player my
entire life.
I suffered from somethingcalled a cerebral spinal fluid
leak so I have had to step awayfrom that.
From some head injuries thatI've had along the way, I like
to still watch coach.
My first business was actuallylessons.

(09:04):
I went to MSU Denver forexercise science so I still love
the whole mind, body, soul,part of that in sports.
As I'm on my healing processhere, I adopted a.
He's now one year old.
I believe he's a MalinoisGerman Shepherd puppy mix for

(09:25):
myself and my son really wanteda German Shepherd, so we train a
puppy.
And if I'm not training a puppy,I'm keeping up with a
nine-year-old.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
So busy Summer.
Please tell our listeners onething they should absolutely
remember about your business,currently named Summertime
Coffee.

Speaker 3 (09:50):
Well, my good friend Tal, who is my roaster, he said
that's T-A-L-L, just T-A-L.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
Okay, got it.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
Tal, he said, because his roast and his recipe is
great, my worst cup or my worstespresso will still be.
The best in town is my goal.
I believe that we roast fromhim and get him purchased there.
The best in town is my goal.
I spend I we we roast from himand get him purchased there.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
but I believe it, I'm Jones, and for a mug of
sunshine.
How can our listeners, how canour listeners learn more about
summertime coffee online?
I know we talked about thelocations, but let's, let's
hammer them out to where peoplecan, can can type them into
their phone.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
Yeah, I'll talk to you guys on Instagram and on
Facebook.
I'll be starting more of meinteracting with you know, my
customers and listeners in thiscommunity.
So live streaming, catch Instaand Facebook, yeah.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
Awesome.
Well, Summer, we reallyappreciate you coming on the
show and we wish you andSummertime Coffee the very best
moving forward.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (11:03):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpfortcollinscom.
That's gnpfortcollinscom, orcall 970-438-0825.