Brian Benjamin, a graphic designer and musician, and Ashley May, an illustrator and painter, form a dynamic Washington, D.C.-based barista couple whose first date was during a chilly December in Baltimore. The Baltimore-area natives met a few years ago at Ceremony Coffee, just around the corner from the Walters Art Museum and Lineup Room recording studios, where Benjamin often recorded his music.
Sadly, both Benjamin and May found themselves without a formal job at the start of the pandemic. Sharing an affinity for Baltimore, a knack for people, and a love of caffeine, they pushed themselves to start Others Coffee.
“For a long time, my rap alias Brain Rapp had performances at venues like The Crown—both red and blue room—Soundstage, Ottobar, and Metro Gallery,” says Benjamin, a Columbia native. “I even had studio space in the former Creative Labs in Hampden. Those moments in the arts scene were subconsciously preparing us to step into this coffee world.”
The company’s name is inspired by the people who have a hand in creating the drink that fuels us every morning.
“How many others are involved in the creation of a coffee experience from the moment that coffee is grown, possibly on the other side of the world?” Benjamin says. “How many hands does it pass through before it gets to your cup, in your hands?”
Adds May: “In the best scenario, it’s always handled by people who really have good intentions, love, and want for inclusion in coffee culture. That’s us at Others.”
Tied directly back to Brian’s love for music, they are currently roasting inside Songbyrd Music House and Record Cafe in Adams Morgan. Songbyrd hasn’t been hosting shows due to COVID-19, but they’ve graciously allowed the Others team to roast in a small unused space in their kitchen.
The couple’s online shop, featuring both single orders and an ongoing subscription service, debuted with a soft launch on September 29, just before National Coffee Day. After selling out in their first round of pre-orders, online sales launched again in early November.
Others’ very first roast is an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe—Yirgacheffe is a region in Ethiopia and many of the coffee farms there are multigenerational and run by families—coffee that uses beans sourced by Keffa Coffee wholesalers in Jonestown.
The 12-ounce boxes, which feature the brand’s signature pale colors and inverted eyes, are designed by Benjamin and inspired by one of May’s paintings—a piece that hangs in their apartment. Aside from roasting their coffee, the owners say the most fun part of starting the business was creating an entertaining design for the boxes.
