Photo courtesy JBird Supply
History: Cheryl (the “Bird”) and Jon (the “J”) Robison’s career paths have been anything but conventional. However, one constant has been a love for coffee. “We met when I was like 16 and he was 18, and I was working in a coffee shop, and he would come in all the time,” Cheryl says. Dabbling in careers from social work to nuclear pharmacy, the duo eventually became partners in life and in business. In 2017, they launched the ethically sourced caffeinated concept JBird Supply, originally selling bags of beans and coffee at farmers markets as a side hustle. The venture turned full time in 2020 with the opening of their brick-and-mortar cafe in Charlottesville at IX Art Park.
Specialties: “We’ve always been very personal,” Cheryl says. “A lot of people come in, and they don’t know much about coffee. I want them to feel comfortable asking.” JBird’s offerings range from the bright Kenya Kiambu, with notes of plum and red grapefruit, to the full-bodied, citrusy Sumatra Harimau Tiger.
Production: JBird’s coffee production is based out of the Robisons’ garage, in addition to to their shop in Charlottesville.
Buy: At the Birdhouse Farmers Market or online.
