By Roya Porshahidy
The Scene staff
The final stretch of the semester always feels like a marathon powered by caffeine and panic, so finding a relaxing spot that smells like fresh espresso and has tables for spreading out notes can make all the difference.
For Forest Park students, that place just might be Northwest Coffee Roasting Company on Laclede Avenue in the Central West End.
The coffee shop and cafe are designed to feel like a calm, neutral base for customers from all walks of life, including college students, according to owner Jason Wilson.
“I want them to feel comfort,” he said. “I want them to feel like this is a good place to be away from home. We are accepting here. We do not care if you sit here all day. We have lots of tables and chairs.
“I do not care how much money you spend. I just want you here.”
Northwest occupies a repurposed mechanics shop with a wall of windows and bright atmosphere. It’s inconspicuous, set back from the road, but welcoming in a low-key, neighborhood sort of way.
Inside, a hodgepodge of seating options includes picnic and bistro tables and everything in between. Décor ranges from twinkle lights to live plants that are available for purchase.
A spacious, partially covered patio features a fire pit. It’s a serene setting, fenced away from the noise and hubbub of the city.
“I really like the environment and coffee,” said customer Shivani Bisram, a student at Forest Park. “I come here a lot to study or just chat with friends.”
Breakfast and lunch served
Northwest’s menu may be exactly what a college student needs during crunch time, serving breakfast and lunch.
In the morning, customers can choose from egg wraps with rotating fillings, oatmeal with optional add-ins like walnuts, almonds, dried cherries, dried blueberries, maple syrup or honey, and Liege waffles with powdered sugar, maple syrup and toppings such as blueberries, strawberries, bananas, Nutella spread and chocolate or caramel drizzles.
Pastries are a daily fixture, including muffins and bagels, alongside the rest of the breakfast lineup.
“The smoothies and chicken salad sandwich always bring me back,” said customer Alexis Tinoco. “It’s my favorite spot to work, and I love the plants.”
For lunch, the cafe serves a soup of the day; a bagel-and-lox sandwich with lettuce, tomato, red onion and capers on a toasted bagel with cream cheese; a house-made chicken salad sandwich with lettuce and tomato; and a chickpea arugula salad with dried cherries, parmesan, tomatoes, croutons and olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Prices range from $2 for a bagel to $11 for a sandwich.
‘Our mochas are incredible’
Northwest’s coffee is roasted in-house, and regular customers describe it as smooth, never bitter.
“We roast our coffee at lower temperatures for longer periods of time,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to mitigate some of the acidity to make it more palatable. We are more of a medium-to-light roast. Starbucks is more medium-to-dark. We work in the middle of all that, but on the lighter side.”
For something sweeter, customers can go for the viral matcha, or a flavored latte with an array of flavored syrups. “Our mochas are incredible,” Wilson said. “Our chai is made from scratch; very few people in the city do that. You can get a ‘dirty chai’ with a shot of espresso in there for a pick-me-up. It’s one of my favorite drinks.”
Fruit smoothies on tap
Northwest also has freshly made fruit and nutritional smoothies for those who need a break from caffeine or are trying to survive finals week without burning out. From “mango tango” smoothies to a classic strawberry banana, there’s a multitude of options.
“I’m a smoothie guy,” Wilson said. “A smoothie and a wrap, all the time. Maybe some chicken salad on arugula.”
Wilson strives for a menu that’s straightforward and affordable. “In business, I believe you cannot overcomplicate the customer,” he said. “I admire Starbucks’ business model, but we are not that big. I have to have a smaller menu.”
“We have affordable food. Our egg wraps are affordable and plentiful. We sell soup that is absolutely affordable and delicious. Our sandwiches are made from scratch, filling, and not unhealthy. We try not to go too high on dessert prices. Students are not trying to spend what they would spend at a sit-down restaurant for lunch. We keep the menu narrow, so we sell everything we buy, and it is all quality controlled.”
The mix of quality coffee, comfort food and free Wi-Fi has made Northwest a favorite among college students looking for somewhere to study that doesn’t feel sterile. Forks & Farms operates a plant shop inside the cafe. It’s like a small urban greenhouse tucked into the corner of the space with a curated selection of houseplants, from small succulents and trailing vines to larger leafy plants arranged on wooden shelves and low tables.
Rare Black-owned roaster
Northwest is one of the few Black-owned coffee roasters in the St. Louis region, which adds another layer of meaning. When Wilson first took over the business, he knew the industry wasn’t built with him in mind. “It was a little terrifying,” he said.
“Nobody Black that I knew was roasting or owned a coffee company in any form or fashion. You start to think, ‘Who is your clientele?’ It was predominantly white folks or upwardly mobile people. They didn’t look like me at the end of the day.”
Wilson worried about how customers would react and whether stereotypes would hurt the business, and he remembers people insisting the coffee was worse even though he had not changed a thing.
“Racism cannot be my demise,” Wilson told his friends when revenue dipped, and he spent eight long years pushing through that “gray area” of uncertainty.
Today, Wilson admits that it can feel like being “the only Black kid in class,” something that is “cool” in a way but also lonely. “I wish there were more of us so the norm was, ‘Man, I can get good coffee from anywhere,’ not just ‘Oh, that Northwest Coffee guy,’” he said. “Don’t come to me just because I’m Black; come because we make great coffee.”
Controlling the narrative
If there’s a phrase that defines both Wilson and Northwest Coffee, it’s the one printed on its wall and food packaging: “#CONTROLTHENARRATIVE!”
The saying first resonated with Wilson in 2008, when Barack Obama was running for president.
“I took that saying and adopted it as my modus operandi,” Wilson said. “You have to control the air. Don’t let somebody tell you what you are or what you can and can’t do.”
For Wilson, that message is not just about politics or entrepreneurship. It could be adapted for any St. Louis Community College student who feels stuck in their own world, whether it be school, money, family or all three at once.
“Control the narrative,” Wilson said. “Know what you want to do. Know who you are. Do not let anybody or anything tell you what you can and cannot be. Even when the chips are down, do not fold your tent. Let them take you out before you quit. Just keep hustling.”
Northwest Coffee Company is at 4251 Laclede Ave., which is an eight-minute drive from the Forest Park campus. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information, visit northwestcoffee.com or call 314-371-4600