Chris and Stephanie Haggerty of Daily Coffee Co.
Sometimes life presents a series of happy accidents. Moments that happen by chance, the universe delivering a lesson or a zap of inspiration. Husband and wife Chris and Stephanie Haggerty have had a few.
The owners of Daily Coffee Co., a mobile cafe that launched last spring in a bright yellow vintage van, believe deeply in the power of human connection. They also believe that those bonds can be strengthened by coffee.
For Chris, that moment of buzzy clarity came in his early 20s while he was living in San Francisco. He stumbled upon a stranger who changed his life.
“I am fascinated by people. I want to know their story,” Chris says. “I met John, who was my neighbor. I would ride my bike over [to] the laundromat, and John was always sitting there. He was unhoused, and I just started talking to him all the time.”
One day, Chris asked John if he could help him. John’s response was, “I like coffee.” From then on, every time Chris would lug his clothes to the laundromat, he would grab John a cup of coffee.
“So, coffee became this entry point,” Chris says.
Through their mobile cafe venture, the Haggertys hope to use the beverage as a gateway to fuel their mission: raising awareness about the unhoused population while equipping that population with resources. In January 2024, area homeless services coordinator Homeward VA reported that there were 681 people experiencing homelessness in the Richmond region, with more than 200 of them unsheltered.
While customers can order a nitro cold brew, specialty latte or Red Bull Infuser at Daily Coffee Co., the Haggertys also carry granola bars, extra pairs of socks and water aboard their van. In addition, they’re equipped with Homeward’s Greater Richmond Street Sheet, a comprehensive guide for those experiencing a housing crisis that lists citywide resources for everything from finding shelter to securing food.
“We want to find a way to engage people on the street, so we carry a Street Sheet; every city has one,” Chris explains. “A lot of homeless people don’t know about it.”
The Haggertys originally met in New Jersey. Chris has a background in historical restoration, 3D modeling and animation, while Stephanie was a longtime nanny. Early on, the couple realized they shared compassion for an often overlooked community. Over the years, Chris says, “All that while, on one level or another, we would engage with people on the street, our unhoused neighbors.”
Before moving to Richmond two years ago, the couple lived in Charlottesville for a decade, where Chris worked for a shelter. Coffee, specifically a mobile coffee truck, was also a dream that the spouses shared.
“We’ve just always talked about having a coffee shop back in Colorado,” where Stephanie worked as a manager and baker at a coffee shop for five years during the couple’s time there, “but it was just never the right time,” she says.
Another serendipitous moment came after they spotted an antique International Metro Van for sale while researching vintage vehicles. Not only was it adorable, it was also already outfitted for a coffee setup and located right down the road from them in Charlottesville. “It was like, ‘That’s for us,’” Chris says.
After purchasing the vehicle, they spent six months traveling the country in it. During that time, they pitched their idea to others of a mobile cafe with a mission. Aiming to bring some light to the world, they say, their goal is to invite Richmonders to engage daily with our unhoused neighbors.
“There’s people that want to know how to do that, that want to know how to help unhoused members and not overcommit and not ignore them and find that sweet spot — that’s part of what I hope we can do,” Chris says.
“When you spend real time with folks, you realize these are incredibly gifted, beautiful, immeasurably valuable people, everyone; there’s moms, dads, daughters, brothers, sisters,” Chris says.
Their motivation is also personal. “My brother was homeless for about 3 1/2 years, and so I’ve had family experience understanding how heartbreaking that is and scary. It all matters; people matter,” Chris says.
Last April, their van was stolen, and in a stroke of luck, recovered days later. While the incident was costly, it was merely a bump in the road, and the cafe is back in business. Coming off a winter break, Daily Coffee Co. will make its next appearance Feb. 23 at Triple Crossing Beer in Fulton for the Dead People’s Stuff Vintage Market.
They currently partner with Richmond-based Recluse Roasting Project and Afterglow Coffee Cooperative for beans and source pastries from local bakeries including Sugar & Twine, Up All Night Bakery, and Montana Gold Bread Co.
Typically, the van can be found parked Wednesdays at Fountain Lake in Byrd Park and Thursdays in front of Patrick Henry Park at 25th and Broad streets in Church Hill. They have also popped up at The Branch Museum of Design and Shyndigz and at various other events.
Stephanie says of launching in Richmond, “I think the size of the city really helps. It feels small enough where you can get to really know the community; it’s intimate.”
Never miss a Sunday Story: Sign up for the newsletter, and we’ll drop a fresh read into your inbox at the start of each week. To keep up with the latest posts, search for the hashtag #SundayStory on Facebook and Instagram.
