Female-Owned LYH Coffeehouse Replaces Bean Tree
Formerly known as Bean Tree, LYH Coffeehouse was rebranded and is now an all-female owned establishment. Jordyn Camden and Jazlyn Prieto are now the co-owners of LYH Coffeehouse, giving the shop a new look, new drinks and a new atmosphere.
“It happened in a really wild way. Jazlyn worked elsewhere, and I worked with Bean Tree for a few years in the past,” Camden said.
The previous owners of Bean Tree wanted someone with a strong background in coffee. They found them in Prieto and Camden.
The coffeeshop is warm and inviting, and it seems to be the very picture of a fall aesthetic. The speakers play a relaxing playlist while college students do homework. The shop has been rebranded with a pink dogwood logo — a symbol of femininity and Virginia locality. Located at 105 Cornerstone St., Suite 106, LYH Coffeehouse is a hotspot for Cornerstone apartment residents.
“They [former owners] really wanted us to not only take ownership of our positions, but they wanted us to really step into ownership of a business and really focus on what it would look like to be a woman-owned business … just to kind of uplift and encourage us in that way,” Camden said.
The co-owners mentioned slight backlash among older patrons, but the response has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive of the women. Camden and Prieto are excited to show the Lynchburg community their success.
“Women throughout the city have stepped into the coffee house, hoping to catch either me or Jazz and just wanted to reach out to us,” Camden said.
LYH Coffeehouse has a strong social media presence, @lyhcoffeehouse, which they use to promote new drinks and special events, such as their weekly trivia night held every Tuesday.
Perhaps what the shop is most excited for this season is their new festive-themed drinks, all of which are named after popular Halloween movies. The “Frankenweenie,” a maple latte with bacon, is one of Prieto’s creations. The “Corpse Bride” drink is a non-caffeinated spiced Chai, an alternative to other caffeinated beverages. “Hocus Pocus” is a bold twist on a classic apple cider and has a similar taste to caramel apple spice. Then they also have the “Jack Skellington,” a pumpkin spiced macchiato named for “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
The coffee beans you will find at the shop are roasted locally from a company called Rosetta Coffee Company. Rosetta takes special pride in participating in direct trade with farmers, which allows them to cut out the middleman, according to Prieto. Rather, the coffee goes straight from farmer to shop.
“Whenever you do direct trade, you’re basically making sure that the farmers are getting paid a really good wage because… most of the farmers are actually in poverty. So that’s why direct trade is so important — to lift farmers up and making sure that they’re living a good life and getting paid what they deserve. So, we really like to highlight that here with our coffee,” Prieto said.
They have also partnered with a company called Peru Feminino, which is an entirely women-run coffee company. Camden and Prieto are looking to build up the Lynchburg community in this coffee shop.
“There’s always a story. There’s always a story behind a cup of coffee and the origin of where it came from. It’s just nice to be connected to around the world,” Prieto said.
Burton is a feature writer.