We love sharing great coffee with every one of you at home, and that's only possible by partnering with equally great coffee roasters. Trade brings together top, independent roasters from small towns across the USA—places you’d love if you lived nearby—and curates the best of the best for folks everywhere. Today, we're taking you to Bentonville, AR, to meet our wonderful friends at Airship Coffee Roasters.
The Origin Story
Founded by agronomist (that’s a plant and soil scientist) Mark Bray in Bentonville, AR, Airship began in 2006 in the remote mountains of Honduras. There to educate local farmers about sustainable agriculture, Mark quickly realized these farmers didn’t need his help with that. He noticed, however, a complete lack of access to a stable, let alone fair, supply chain for the community’s coffee crops. After having what he described as “his best cup of coffee ever” in those mountains, everything clicked for Mark. He’d roll up his sleeves and create the supply chain himself. A year and a half later, Mark imported his first container of coffee from the farms he first visited in Honduras.
Now, nearly 20 years after that trip to Central America, Airship is a trusted partner to coffee farming communities all over the world. And, while their ties across the globe remain strong, they’ve also been busy cultivating deeper connections at home.
Over the past six years, they’ve opened four incredible coffee shops in Bentonville—spaces for their friends, family and visitors to gather and connect over the same kinds of coffees that originally inspired Mark. We’d love for you to visit them in person one day, but for now, we hope you’ll enjoy this virtual tour. Spaces that, not only offer you a look into the soul of Airship but also give you a resident’s eye view of the special town they call home.
A Bike Tour Through Bentonville
All four of these spaces are within a 10-15 minute bike ride of each other. Which, according to Mark Bray, is very intentional (and awesome, according to us).
5th St.
The first Airship coffee shop founded in 2018, where every coffee is roasted and packed by hand—including yours!
The Coler
Don’t expect wifi at this beautiful open-air shop, nestled inside the world-class Coler Mountain Bike Preserve.
Ledger
The world’s first bikeable building—yes, you read that right. You can bike up all six stories!
Pumphouse
Built in 1954 to bring water from a local spring into town, and restored to its original charm and splendor by Airship last year.
Ask the Founder
Trade: Tell us your top three favorite things about Bentonville.
Mark Bray: 1. Mountain bike trails... 2. Mountain bike trails... 3. Mountain bike trails...
Trade: How do you like to make coffee at home?
Mark Bray: My morning ritual for my wife and I is drip brew. We grind and brew in a Bonavita; 59 grams per 1 liter water. Also a fan of the clever dripper for a personal cup of drip.
Trade: Favorite roast of yours on Trade right now?
Mark Bray: My favorite right now is our Waghi Valley, a washed coffee from Papua New Guinea that has a distinctive lemony acidity, but big sweetness and cocoa flavor. Love that you asked what's my favorite "right now". It's always changing. So many coffees, so little time...
