Hush Hush Coffee in Central Oregon Merges Outdoor Adventure and Quality Coffee
On a freezing February morning, I was up before the sun, putting on extra layers before heading out the front door. My mission was to get the day’s first cup of coffee.
However, this was no ordinary stop-in at my local cafe. On this particular morning I would be having a Hush Hush Coffee nomadic cafe experience at the hosted pop-up gathering by invitation that combines some of Central Oregon’s favorite niche locations with specialty coffee service.
Other coffee adventurers would join, too. Multiple paths through four inches of fresh snow snaked their way to the overlook at Overturf Park as the sun rose. At the top, Ron Sparks and Adam Foster, the founders of Hush Hush Coffee, set up a small camping table with everything needed to make a morning cup for their guests.
While Foster and Sparks labored over how coarse to grind the beans and what roasts would satisfy their guests, patrons mingled. From the outside, it would appear as a group of regulars. However, upon listening to the conversations around me, I began picking up on a similar theme—like me, this was many people’s first time at a Hush Hush event.
For more than two hours, strangers shared their morning cup of coffee together, leaving as friends. Foster and Sparks periodically made their way through the crowd, topping cups off and boasting of a new blend they had just brewed. We were happy to oblige.
After the nomadic cafe experience, I followed the same path back through the snow, although more had accumulated, and returned down through Overturf Park to my car. Later, I caught up with Sparks and Foster to take a deep dive into the origins of Hush Hush, both the coffee and the experience.
The Hush Hush Concept Kicks Off as Coffee with Friends
Hush Hush, the concept, found its roots about as organically as the coffee that Foster and Sparks brew. The two friends regularly took their lunch breaks at Riverbend Park, especially when the sun was shining. Along with their lunches, the two would bring their coffee paraphernalia.
“We would make pour-overs from our built-up coffee travel kits housed inside Stanley lunch boxes,” Sparks said.
Eventually, the pair invited some friends to join them. In August of 2022, with five others in attendance, Hush Hush had their first “official” nomadic cafe. “It was just a few friends hanging out before work and enjoying whatever coffee we happened to be digging that week,” Sparks said.
Both men had previous experience working in the coffee industry, and it seemed the coffee bug didn’t leave them. “Ron purchased a small, 1kg commercial roaster just so we could play around with roasting and cupping different coffees in his garage,” Foster said. They would always roast more than needed, discreetly giving the extra to family and friends—or “hush-hush,” as they would say.
Foster and Sparks’ love for coffee is clear. They can often be overheard discussing the subject in great detail. Sparks and Foster’s passion shines through as they grind and brew truly phenomenally-tasting coffee. However, they are not coffee snobs. Rather, they just want to share a better cup of coffee with you.
Quality coffee is at the center of a Hush Hush experience. “We are very much the opposite of a traditional cafe,” Sparks said. “We do everything intentionally slowly; we weigh our coffee, hand grind our coffee and hand-pour.” The fullness of the coffee-making process is evident at the nomadic cafes, and, dare I say, somehow makes the coffee taste better.
Hush Hush roasts its own beans, which it serves at its nomadic cafes. It also supports smaller roasters, both locally and abroad. Lone Pine Coffee and Portland’s Elevator Coffee were among the bean options offered at the event.
“We love all kinds of coffee,” Foster said. “We love to explore what’s in season and what new processes roasters are experimenting with. We each have our own go-to favorite style.” Foster leans toward Ethiopian, funky and fruity blends, while Sparks tends to enjoy Central American beans, with more of a chocolatey profile and just a touch of citrus.
Why a “Nomadic Cafe” Experience?
Apart from keeping a high bar for the coffee beans it serves, a key aspect of Hush Hush Coffee is its nomadic cafe experience. Sparks and Foster are clear that the concept is purposeful.
“We figured we could utilize our passions for coffee and community as an excuse to bring people together in our favorite place to slow down and reflect: the outdoors,” Foster said.
And this is exactly what happens at a Hush Hush nomadic cafe. A hike or bike ride on a trail to get there is an investment in the experience. And, if you have time to hike into a location, you likely have time to stick around and chat, to develop the Hush Hush community in that moment. This isn’t a rushed morning waiting in line for your latte at a coffee retail giant. On the contrary, you can expect to enjoy your carefully crafted coffee while chatting with someone new.
“The heart of Hush Hush is that we love coffee, community and adventure,” Foster and Sparks said. “There’s something really fun about inviting people out to join this little morning ritual with each other and having them interact back.”
Coffee Outdoors or Delivered to Your Door
Beyond offerings at its nomadic cafes, Foster and Sparks are launching a monthly subscription program to bring Hush Hush Coffees to the hands of coffee lovers.
Since Hush Hush Coffee emphasizes people finding themselves outside, Foster and Sparks have created their subscription-based coffee experience to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
“For each subscription delivery, a tree is planted by [environmental nonprofit] One Tree Planted. Four percent of all profit goes to protect outside spaces, and we’ve made our packaging completely home and industrial compostable,” Sparks shared.
With the help of friends, the pair also hopes to extend Hush Hush nomadic cafes outside of Oregon. “We’d love to see a Hush Hush Nomadic Cafe set up in every state in the U.S. to get people outside and connect over coffee,” he said.
So, how do you attend the next Hush Hush Coffee nomadic cafe experience? Easy: follow Hush Hush Coffee on Instagram. Foster and Sparks typically host a nomadic cafe every month, which they will post about, usually the day before. Direct message Hush Hush Coffee when you see the post, and a response will include a date, time and location.
It is truly a coffee adventure.
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