Why this specialty coffee shop’s new Salt Lake City location had loyal customers lining up out the door

Kade and Elise Measom said they never wait outside of businesses for grand openings.

But when JJ Coffee Co. opened a new location in Salt Lake City last month, about a block east of the city’s downtown library, the couple made an exception.

Before he and Elise moved here from Utah County about a year ago, they had grown to love JJ Coffee Co.’s first location in Orem, which opened in February 2022 and became known for its specialty house-made syrups, with flavors including banana bread, blueberry mint, coconut ube and more.

“I would probably go there a few times a week,” Kade Measom said. Then, nodding to Elise, he added, “This one over here would go probably every morning. No joke.”

So when they learned that JJ’s was moving to their new home, they eagerly followed the news. And when the anticipated day finally came, Kade said they showed up 45 minutes early. About a hundred more excited coffee-drinkers followed, forming a line that wrapped around the building.

Trevor Schultz, who co-founded JJ Coffee Co with his wife, Brooke Schultz, said he believes the reason the shop has received so much attention in-person and on social media is because of how intentional they are about connecting with customers.

“I’m sure everyone’s got their own reasons for why they wanted to not only get in line, but also stay in line,” he said. “I told everyone, ‘Hey, I don’t blame you if you want to come back tomorrow.’ … Everyone was so patient.”

Trevor and Brooke met in Sydney, Australia, where the pair attended Hillsong College, a Christian school. While there, Trevor said, he was introduced to the world of specialty coffee — and “could not believe how good coffee could taste.”

There, he worked as a barista, learning the craft of coffee before the couple eventually made their way to Utah. According to Trevor, they knew they wanted to open a coffee shop, have a family and one day buy a home.

“Utah was just so beautiful,” he said. “Here, people are kind.”

While still in Australia, Trevor said he also worked as a volunteer pastor, and though he no longer considers himself religious, he often jokes that running a coffee shop is a lot like running a church.

“People always laugh at me, but the two are not as different as people would think,” he said. “What it comes down to is we’re building a community. … We treat our customers like they really matter to us.”

When he and Brooke opened their first location in Orem, they focused on making the coffee experience “exhaustively inclusive” to everyone from seasoned connoisseurs to people who had never had a sip in their life.

They’ve maintained that level of accessibility, he said, ensuring that everyone has a place at JJ Coffee Co.

Part of that desire for inclusivity, Trevor explained, comes from his mom, Barbara Joan Schultz, who died in 2019. One of the J’s in JJ Coffee Co. comes from her name, he said. The other is for Brooke’s father, David James Price, who died in 2017.

“Losing them, we just had this drive to want to make our lives matter,” Trevor said.

Paige Von, who is currently the assistant manager for JJ Coffee Co.’s Salt Lake City location, said the business’ values are part of why she’s stayed with the company since its first shop opened.

Beyond the personal connections that have helped JJ’s develop a fan base, she said, people have also grown to love their menu, which includes flavorful drinks and tasty bites, including banana bread, which she said is made with Brooke’s recipe.

“I’ve never connected with so many people on a piece of bread,” she said. “They’re like, ‘That bread changed my life.’”

Trevor said he and Brooke plan to open more locations in the coming year, though they are not prepared to share specific locations.

“We don’t take any of it for granted,” he said. “We don’t take a single customer for granted.”

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