We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Savannah Gray a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Savannah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
When people ask how I came up with the idea of Evergreen Coffee & Energy, I always say it was born from a belief that coffee could be more than just a drink, it could be an experience worth remembering.
My mom was a single mother, often working two or three jobs to make ends meet. Most nights, she’d come home, eat a quick meal, and put on a pot of coffee before heading to her next shift. She’d pour me a cup of mostly creamer with just a splash of coffee, and she’d drink the rest herself. That time at the table, talking and laughing before she’d have to leave again for her next job was truly our time together. It taught me that coffee isn’t just about what’s in the cup, it’s about the connection you can have while enjoying your cup of coffee.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where coffee isn’t just part of the day, it’s part of the culture. Drive-thru coffee stands are a normal part of life there, and every stop felt personal. The baristas knew your name, remembered your drink, and sometimes even had your drink ready for you by the time you pulled up to their window. It wasn’t just about the caffeine; it’s about the connection.
When I moved to Texas, I realized that type of experience was missing. Sure, there were coffee shops, but the drive-thru culture, the playful menus, the sense of community… it just wasn’t here. I kept thinking, Why should “fast” coffee mean impersonal coffee? That was the moment I knew I could bring something different to the table.
The idea for Evergreen Coffee & Energy was to blend the efficiency and fun of the PNW drive-thru scene with a menu that could meet every kind of craving, whether that’s a bold latte, a vibrant energy drink, or a cozy weekly special. Our menu is intentionally diverse: coffee, matcha, teas, plant-based energy drinks, smoothies, non-caffeinated beverages, so there’s something for everyone. And our Brewistas are encouraged to connect with customers, even if it adds a minute or two to the order. Because at Evergreen, your drink isn’t just made for flavor, it’s Made to Make Your Day.
What excited me most was the idea of building a brand that could scale without losing its personality. We’ve proven we can thrive at farmers markets, in corporate settings, in other unique, experiential spaces that bring joy to an entirely new audience and now, through our upcoming partnership as the exclusive coffee provider for CuppaPug’s Texas locations.
I knew this was a worthwhile endeavor because I wasn’t just solving the “need caffeine” problem. The logic was simple: people will always need coffee or a pick-me-up, but they’ll return for how you make them feel. I was building a space where people feel seen, welcome, and cared for, just like I did across the table from my mom all those years ago. Evergreen Coffee & Energy is my love letter to the coffee culture I grew up with, reimagined for the community I’m in now.
Savannah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Savannah Gray, the founder and owner of Evergreen Coffee & Energy, a Pacific Northwest–inspired coffee brand that’s Made to Make Your Day.
My love for coffee started long before I ever owned a business. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, coffee wasn’t just a drink, it was a way to connect. My earliest coffee memories are with my mom, a single mother who worked two or three jobs to make ends meet. She’d come home, eat a quick meal, and put on a pot of coffee before heading to her next shift. She’d pour me a small cup that was mostly creamer, and we’d sit together and talk before she had to leave again. Those moments taught me that coffee is more than caffeine, it’s connection, it’s comfort, and it’s time well spent.
Professionally, I’ve spent years in the coffee industry, from volunteering serving coffee between church services, to being a barista, to management, to creating my own business. When I moved to Texas, I noticed something missing. The warm, playful, and deeply personal drive-thru coffee culture I grew up with just didn’t exist here. That’s when I decided to create Evergreen Coffee & Energy, a brand that blends speed, quality, and connection while offering a menu as diverse as the people we serve.
We specialize in handcrafted coffee, matcha, teas, smoothies, and our signature Evergreen Energy drinks, vibrant, plant-based energy drinks, available in 100+ flavors. We’re more than just a coffee stop, we’re an experience. Whether we’re at the Frisco Fresh Market, popping up at corporate offices, or collaborating with unique partners like CuppaPug (where we’ll be the exclusive coffee provider for their Texas locations), we’re creating moments customers remember long after the last sip.
What sets us apart is our intentional focus on connection. Our Brewistas are encouraged to get to know our customers, and we pride ourselves on the idea that it might take a minute longer to get your drink, but you’ll always know it was Made to Make Your Day.
But what really makes our brand stand out (and gets our customers the most excited) are our weekly specials and custom menus for special events. Every week, we design a new, themed menu with unique drink creations you can’t get anywhere else. Think: seasonal twists, playful pop culture nods, and flavor combos that surprise and are inspired by local favorites.
These menus have become a core part of our community culture. Customers plan their weekend stops around what’s “new on the board” and love collecting their favorites from past weeks. It’s a tradition that keeps Evergreen Coffee & Energy fresh, creative, and impossible to get bored of.
From our spot at the Frisco Fresh Market to corporate pop-ups and unique partnerships like our upcoming role as the exclusive coffee provider for CuppaPug, we show up wherever connection happens. And we do it with the same mission every time: to make sure your drink isn’t just made for flavor, it’s Made to Make Your Day.
I’m most proud that Evergreen Coffee & Energy has grown through genuine relationships, community excitement, and a brand voice that invites people in. Every drink, every special, every event is a chance to create an extraordinary moment, and that’s exactly what we’re here for.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When I started Evergreen Coffee & Energy, I knew social media was going to be just as important as our physical locations. In the early days, we didn’t have a big marketing budget, so our growth came from creativity, consistency, and really understanding what our audience wanted to see.
I leaned into what made Evergreen Coffee & Energy unique: our weekly specials, custom flavor creations, and our Evergreen Explorers. Every new menu became a mini event on social media. I didn’t just post a list of drinks; I treated each special like a story, giving it personality, a fun name, and visuals that made people stop scrolling. Customers started looking forward to “Behind the Board” which was our menu reveal day, and sharing their favorites, which naturally boosted our reach.
We also made a point to show the people behind Evergreen. Our team is full of personality, and letting that shine in videos, behind-the-scenes clips, and customer interactions made the brand feel personal and approachable.
Another big part of our growth was engaging with our Evergreen Explorers, not just posting at them. We responded to comments, DMs, and tagged posts quickly and with genuine enthusiasm. We also tapped into trending sounds, pop culture references, and local events so our content felt fresh and relevant.
For anyone starting to build a social media presence, here’s my advice:
1. Know your voice and stick to it. Evergreen Coffee & Energy is fun, BOLD, high-energy, and welcoming. That consistency builds recognition.
2. Create shareable moments. Whether it’s a captivating drink, a witty caption, or a relatable meme, make content people want to repost.
3. Be consistent. Post regularly, and focus on quality over quantity.
4. Engage like a human, not a brand. Talk with your followers, not at them.
5. Lean into what makes you different. For us, it’s a rotating menu and over 100 flavors. Find your “thing” and make it the star.
Social media isn’t just a marketing tool for us, it’s part of the Evergreen Experience. When customers walk up to our Brewistas, they already feel like they know us, and that connection usually starts online.
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
We sell directly through our own website, EvergreenCoffeeEnergy.com, because it allows us to have complete control over the customer experience and keep everything authentically “Evergreen Coffee & Energy.”
Our online store features exclusive merch drops, limited-run apparel and accessories designed in-house that our customers get very excited about. These aren’t just logo tees; each collection is tied to our brand personality, seasonal specials, or customer-favorite themes. Once they sell out, they’re gone for good, which makes every drop feel special and worth snagging fast.
We’ve also added digital products like our downloadable recipe books, which give fans a way to bring Evergreen flavor creations into their own kitchens. It’s a fun way to extend the brand experience beyond our physical locations, and it’s been a big hit with both local customers and those who follow us from afar.
Running e-commerce on our own platform means we can:
• Control the brand story from the moment you land on the site to when your order arrives.
• Bundle and cross-sell, like pairing a cozy sweatshirt with a seasonal recipe book.
• Release surprise drops without the limitations of a third-party platform.
The only con? We handle it all ourselves: customer service, marketing, designing.. which can be a lot of moving parts. But for us, the trade-off is worth it because it keeps the brand consistent and allows us to engage directly with our customers.
Whether you’re grabbing the latest merch, downloading recipes, or planning your next Evergreen run, our online store is designed to be as fun, creative, and community-driven as the drinks we serve in person.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.EvergreenCoffeeEnergy.com
- Instagram: @EvergreenCoffeeEnergy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/EvergreenCoffeeEnergy
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/evergreencoffeeenergy
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/EvergreenCoffeeEnergy
- Other: (All socials @EvergreenCoffeeEnergy) TikTok: @EvergreenCoffeeEnergy Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/EvergreenCoffeeEnergy Threads: @EvergreenCoffeeEnergy
