Alumnus uses traveling coffee company to connect with others and to grow business in the community

Josh Davies, founder and creator of Nomad Coffee Co., has set his business apart from other local coffee shops by roasting and selling coffee in a traveling coffee truck.

Liberty University alumnus Josh Davies created the Nomad Coffee truck to combat the main problem facing traditional brick-and-mortar coffee shops: location. 

“Most coffee shops fail in the first three to five years,” Davies said. “Sometimes the only wrong element (for a coffee shop) is being on the wrong side of the right road.”   

Davies avoided this problem by making the shop mobile, allowing Nomad Coffee to meet patrons’ needs wherever customers may wander. 

The Nomad Coffee truck can often be spotted on Tuesdays at the Liberty Academic Lawn. “The Blue Ridge Latte,” a white chocolate coconut and iced mint latte, and “Wanderlust,” an Andes-mint-inspired mocha, are two of the coffee truck’s specialty drinks that the business offers on its menu. 

The truck has become a Liberty staple, and Davies recalled many good memories of interacting with Liberty students. 

“One specific time, this female student said Nomad Coffee days were her favorite days on campus,” Davies said.

In the past, the coffee truck visited the Academic Lawn every Tuesday. However, due to its alleged competition with Starbucks in the Montview Student Union, Nomad now only visits once a month. 

Davies said his best memories are not from inside the coffee truck, but outside through the personal connections he has made by sharing his story with others. He believes that the business itself is a gateway to deeper relationships and an aid for building community.

“Then Nomad becomes more than a cup of coffee,” Davies said. “It becomes a story and a way to connect with people.”   

Davies has an interesting perspective when it comes to incorporating his faith into his business. He believes that the business opens doors for deeper conversation, but he does not believe that the business itself is a ministry. 

“There’s not going to be a Chick-fil-A in heaven just because everyone knows it’s owned by a Christian,” Davies said. “Businesses are not Christians — people are.”

Aside from the local haunts, Nomad Coffee Co. has participated in food truck rallies at many music festivals. 

“We’ve been able to do music festivals like the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware, Blue Ridge Rock Festival, and more local and Virginia festivals like Lynchstock,” Davies said. “(Last year) we actually got to do Bonnaroo in Tennessee; we were invited again this year.”

Aside from the coffee truck, Nomad Coffee Co. has a permanent, stationary location outside of the Ed Page entrance to the Blackwater Creek Trail.

“It’s a quick-grab coffee stand,” Davies said. “Even some people who have lived in Lynchburg for a long time don’t know about it.” 

Looking forward, customers can expect Nomad Coffee to continue to grow, as the company intends to begin roasting its own coffee this year and anticipates the possibility of a new permanent location. Nomad Coffee Co. is also looking into incorporating doughnuts into its menu. For more information about the coffee company, visit www.drinknomadcoffee.com.

Richards is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion