The Love of Coffee, Community, & Good Company

Acre Coffee grew out of a long-standing love for specialty coffee. I’m Thom Whitaker, and I started working in coffee nearly 15 years ago after moving to the United States. Over the years I had the opportunity to learn in some incredible coffee environments, including time with respected specialty roasters like Ritual and Verve. Those years shaped how I think about coffee, not just as a craft, but as something that creates space for people to slow down, connect, and share a moment together.

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The name Acre is partly a nod to my last name, Whitaker. It traces back to my English roots, originating from Old English hwīt (“white”) and æcer (“field” or “plot of cultivated land”).” 

 

Historically, an acre described the amount of land a person could work in a day. There’s something meaningful about that idea, honest effort, tending what’s in front of you, and the quiet satisfaction of seeing something grow over time.

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Acre Coffee is my small plot to cultivate. After years of thinking about starting something of my own, the mobile espresso cart felt like the right place to begin. It allows me to bring specialty coffee directly into the places where people gather, weddings, markets, churches, and community events across the Central Coast.

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My wife Leslie and I are raising our family here on the Central Coast with our six-year-old son, Oli, and we’re excited to welcome a little girl this May. Acre Coffee is very much a family venture and a small step toward building something lasting in the community we love.

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-Thom x