Coffee Worth Chasing

Getting Byway started

Byway is Avery’s fourth business venture. Before launching Byway in 2024, she built a career as a destination wedding photographer, opened a mobile cocktail trailer, and started Slate Studio Memphis, a rentable photo studio that she still owns. Whether it was storytelling and branding or logistics and operations, each business taught her something that she now applies to Byway.

When Avery bought the first trailer, she wasn’t sure what she’d do with it and she had no professional coffee shop experience. Still, the door opened, and she walked through it with the support of family and friends in the coffee business. 

Her uncle, West Huddleston, told Avery that if she built a business plan, he would invest. Now, she has a staff of 20 individuals, contractors, and an operations manager, Sam Cohen. 

When Sam came to Memphis with his wife two years ago, he needed a job and had experience in coffee. He heard rumblings of Byway via friends and “pestered” Avery in her DMs for an opportunity until she responded. “I feel grateful to Avery for allowing me to help her grow Byway to the level it is, keep it going strong and become the magical coffee truck it’s become,” he says. “Avery has a wonderful intuition on hiring people. She keeps finding people that keep the culture and want to see Byway grow. 

“[Avery] is a force to be reckoned with. She is a whirlwind, and every day is a lot of fun. She has her vision and she knows what she likes, but she is willing to let us take liberties where we need to make it work.”

Learning curves
One of the steepest learning curves operating a coffee trailer, Avery says, was the speed and precision required behind the bar, and the physical demands of serving coffee.  

“There are so many moving parts happening simultaneously—dialing in espresso, customer interaction, timing, milk texture, inventory, equipment troubleshooting, online orders, and line management,” she says. “In the first 30 days, my brain felt constantly overloaded.” 

There were also other lessons to tackle, like learning mechanical components of operating generators, electrical needs inside the trailer, and doing it all on a limited 41-gallon tank of water. 

Byway’s fast growth also meant that little inefficiencies became huge problems almost overnight. Things like prep systems, staff communication, inventory organization, and even where lids were physically placed in the trailer mattered. 

“We used to hand whisk our matcha and cold foams for a single serving. This is the one we laugh the most about looking back at our soft opening,” Avery says.

Creating comfort
A self-proclaimed introvert who thrives on connection, Avery believes life feels richer when it’s shared with other people. “People stumble onto us during their normal day and end up creating rituals around it,” she says. “There’s less pressure than walking into a traditional cafe. It almost feels like seeing an ice cream truck as a kid. People light up when they spot us.”

One interaction she said she’ll never forget was a customer telling her and the team that coming to Byway had become part of their weekly routine during a difficult season of life. They said it gave them something small to look forward to and helped them feel connected to the city again. 

“That stuck with me because it reminded me, we’re not just serving coffee. We’re creating consistency, familiarity, comfort, and little moments of joy in people’s normal days,” she says.  

Keeping it local, seasonal, and fresh 

Byway’s coffee is locally roasted by Comeback Coffee, a partnership Avery says she loves because it keeps her business rooted in Memphis. 

Her favorite drink on the menu changes constantly because creating seasonal drinks is one of her favorite parts of the business. Right now, she favors the Banana Bread Latte, featuring banana, chocolate, and a maple cinnamon cold foam. It’s a seasonal drink that Byway is entering into this year’s ChampionSip. 

She says it feels comforting, nostalgic, and familiar. “I love drinks that feel emotional or memory-driven. And that one reminds people of home, slow mornings, and something warm straight out of the oven,” she says. “I think it represents Byway really well because it’s playful and creative, while still feeling approachable and comforting.”

Another memory-driven drink is Dandy’s Tea, which launched in June. It’s a sweet Southern tea with lemon, lime, and mint, all served in a 16-ounce bottle. The recipe is from Avery’s grandmother, Dandy, who passed away in January. In the 1970s, Dandy spent a lot of time at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with her daughter, Blair, who had acute lymphocytic leukemia. At the time, the disease’s survival rate was 4 percent, but, thanks to St. Jude, Avery’s Aunt Blair will be celebrating her 60th birthday soon. Dandy’s Tea has become popular quickly, and Avery plans to keep it on the menu. “It has such a deep connection with us and St. Jude, and a portion of the proceeds from every bottle will be donated to St. Jude,” she says.

The Fruity Pebbles Cold Foam Latte is equally popular, but more silly than serious! In addition to being the 2025 ChampionSip winner, the Fruity Pebbles Cold Foam Latte was also the competition’s most tagged drink. Its swirls of lavender, white chocolate, and orange are topped with a crunchy layer of rainbow Fruity Pebbles, channeling a Saturday morning vibe of cartoons and cereal, but for grownups. 

Sam says it’s one of the most popular monthly specials they’ve ever done and is requested often. It comes back occasionally, so he advises customers to stay tuned on social media to see when it returns. 

At launch, Avery didn’t realize people would get so excited about seasonal drinks. 

“The trailer format almost creates this built-in excitement where customers anticipate the next drop like it’s a little event,” she says. “Now menu development has become one of my favorite parts of the business because it gives us a chance to be creative, playful, nostalgic, and constantly evolving. I think Memphis was craving an experience that felt fresh and interactive like that, not just a static coffee menu that never changes.”

Mama, we made it
Avery says the growth of Byway has been the biggest surprise and blessing. She thought the hard part would be convincing people to care. Instead, the hard part became building systems fast enough to support how quickly people started to care. 

Growth, she says, sounds glamorous, but rapid growth tests everything, including your leadership, finances, boundaries, and stamina. She credits her team for her ability to grow quickly and sustainably. 

“You can have a great idea and incredible momentum, but if you don’t have people that you trust helping carry the vision forward, growth can overwhelm you just as fast as it can bless you,” she says.

One moment that captures it all—the crazy parts, surprises, challenges, and blessings? The one-year anniversary party of Byway and the opening of trailer two. 

Avery and team had both trailers parked side by side serving two massive lines, each about 40 to 70 people deep, for hours. Avery said everything felt exciting, overwhelming, exhausting, and surreal all at once. But what really made her take in the moment wasn’t just the size of the crowd; it was hearing all the little comments throughout the day. 

“People saying they heard about Byway from a coworker and ‘had to try it.’ Seeing people post us nonstop on their Instagram stories. Hearing customers bring friends for the first time like they were introducing them to a hidden gem in the city. One of the wildest moments was learning someone on a cross-country road trip intentionally made Byway one of their stops,” Avery says.

There have also been strange, funny moments. One time someone recognized her in an airport and asked for a selfie, a moment that caught her off guard and that she says was bizarre for someone who owns a coffee trailer. 

“It’s become bigger than just a coffee trailer,” she says. “In a strange and beautiful way, Byway has started becoming a destination. It’s a place people genuinely want to experience and share with other people.”

The next step
Avery bought her uncle’s—West Huddleston’s—portion of the business and is going completely solo. “We would not be where we are today without his support, belief, and willingness to take a chance on me,” she says. “I’ll always be grateful for that.” 

Avery says before Byway existed, West was one of the people constantly reminding her that she’s capable of building something bigger than she could see for herself at the time. Going fully solo, she says, feels like a natural next chapter and strategically gives her the ability to move quickly towards maximizing Byway’s potential. 

“It represents confidence and trusting myself enough to fully carry the responsibility and vision forward,” she says. “More than anything, it feels like stepping into a season where I’m ready to fully bloom and flourish in my own way while still honoring the people who helped me get here.” 

As for a brick and mortar, Avery says the timing, location and many other pieces would have to be just right for her to consider it. Meanwhile, the trailers are working just fine, and as she observes the success of trailer two, she may consider expanding into other cities.

@bywaycoffee.co

Erica Horton is a freelance journalist who loves to learn and write about almost anything. @chewsipfly

Elly Weisenborn, of Haze Photography & Media, is a Memphis-based photographer from Chicago. She aspires to inspire. @haze.photog