Act One:  In which Nathan Quillo is born and there is a great deal of exposition

“I was so young, I don’t even remember first drinking coffee,” says Nathan Quillo. “But I remember liking it.” Born in Muenster, Germany, Nate spent his childhood immersed in European culture. “There were dinner parties with my parents' friends and coffee, picnics in the German hills, going into Paris,” he says. “We were surrounded by fine foods and wine, history, music, art and books and books and books.”

 That culture made a lasting impression. As an adult, Nathan continued to explore connoisseurship of food and drink, with a special interest in coffee. He ordered gourmet coffees from around the world and sought out the best coffee shops in Seattle, New York and just about everywhere in between. After a few years of corresponding with coffee roasters locally and around the country, Nathan left a career in social work to take a job as a barista at a coffee shop in Louisville.

 “I understood the coffee-shop culture,” says Nathan. “Literature and music, discussing politics –it reminded me of my family.”

 Act Two:  Enter Love Interest, stage right; Life Calling, stage left

 More than just coffee was brewing the day that Nate met Amy, a med student and fellow barista. Sharing, among other things, a love of great coffee, they had a great many coffee dates and were married three years later. “We both worked in coffee,” says Nathan of their courtship. “We loved coffee and coffee culture, and we were introduced by my friend Lachlan. Coffey.”

 In 2002, Brian Miller and Matthew Huested, two fellow coffee enthusiasts, started up their own coffee-roasting business and shop in Germantown –a little place called Sunergos. Nathan watched the establishment of this new shop as it grew and acquired a loyal following. As Sunergos continued to thrive, Nate’s idea to open a coffee shop of his own simmered gently beneath the surface, like a pot of good Turkish coffee.

 Gabriel Quillo remembers when his brother’s plans began to take shape. “Nathan told me his plans to open a literary-themed coffee shop,” says Gabe. “As a huge fan of all things coffee, I told him I would help in any way. He took that literally.” Nathan asked his brother to join him as co-owner of the business, and not long afterward the name of the future shop was decided upon.

 Quills, Nathan’s lifelong nickname and a pun on the family name, embodied the spirit of the future shop. “It stands for my family, our history,” says Nathan, “quills and parchment, literature, storytelling. Coffee has its own story to tell, where it’s come from historically, geographically. There’s a story in each cup.”

 Act Three:  In which the Brothers Quillo open their coffee shop

 In January of 2007, Nathan and Gabe began tearing out the walls and ceilings of an old motorcycle shop on Kentucky Street, the building that would become the first location of Quills Coffee. Over the next six months, the leaking, crumbling space grew into something resembling a coffee shop. Up went impressive mahogany bookshelves, counters and bar. Walls were repaired and given a fresh coat of paint in deep greens and greys.

 “To tackle the project with my brother, that’s something I’ll carry with me,” says Nathan, of the experience. “There were late nights of hammers and saws and paint and stain, and we did it together.”

 With construction almost complete, the finishing touches were added: eclectic prints and paintings by local artists, an antique typewriter showcasing “Today’s flavors”. The bookshelf was stocked with a small but diverse collection of literature, lending it the distinct sensation of serendipity. The bar was supplied with a barista’s equipage and the celebrated centerpiece, its cherry-red Astoria espresso machine. By opening day, Quills was fairly bursting with personality.

 Act Four:  Containing, in the tradition of fourth acts, the protagonist’s monologue

 “We opened on a Sunday. Our mom was our first customer: a cup of coffee and a danish. It was basically friends and family, but quite a few people wandered in from the neighborhood. There was such a sense of celebration and a lot of clamor and total chaos. Later on, there were nights sitting in the café, me and Gabe, with nothing in particular going on, just enjoying the atmosphere we created.

 We wanted to create a place that valued coffee. There’s such a growing popularity in beer tasting and wine culture –to explore fine products and flavor profiles. Coffee, in its third wave, is joining that culture. In the first wave you had the instant coffees and popular kitchen coffees –poor beans with tons of caffeine, but they taught Americans to drink coffee. Then you had the second wave: the early 90s, and Gen X coffee shops, grungers and flannel and the Seattle scene –Starbucks and lattes.

 Now you have this third wave where it’s really being refined. There are some amazing shops that are taking seriously cupping and flavor profiles. They get excited about single origins and different lots of coffee, how coffee is bought. They place value on the farms and farmers and how it’s prepared –everything from properly brewing a cup of coffee to pulling shots to making drinks that enhance espresso and don’t hide it. Opening Quills, Gabe and I knew that was something we wanted to capture and be about. We want to celebrate coffee and know that it’s this amazing gift the earth gives us.”

 Act Five:  In which Quills turns the page

 In July of 2008, after over a year of delighting the Highlands with our passion for coffee, art and literature, Quills began a brief sabbatical –A Winter’s Tale, so to speak. The opportunity to move the shop to a beautiful location on Baxter Avenue was too good to pass up.

 Among other things, the hiatus provided Nate and Gabe with time to expand and develop Quills’ own signature coffee line. “We’ve cupped a lot of coffees from various local roasters,” says Nathan. “We have some great coffees put together for us by the guys over at Sunergos and Safai Roasting.” Featured among the selections is the house espresso, a blend of uncommon richness and flavor exclusive to Quills, which makes up the heart of every espresso beverage.

 Quills is also proud to present Novel Artisan Teas, our own line of fourteen inspiring tea blends. Novel Teas offer a spectrum of flavors, from brisk and traditional to delicate and exotic, complete with a full tea service.

 In addition we’ve established an exciting new partnership with local chocolatier Erika Chavez-Graziano of Cellar Door Chocolates. Erika will make her headquarters on site at the Baxter location, whipping up handmade gourmet confections such as her espresso truffles and classic bourbon balls –perfect to accompany a Quills beverage.

 Of the new place itself, we’ve taken a beautiful old building and restored its original glory. Working with GreenGo Construction, a local contractor, we were able to conserve much of what gives the space its character and complimented it with our signature Quills style. For newcomers, that means warm, textured décor, local art and some really good reads. We think it’s the perfect environment in which to savor good coffee, company and colloquy.