Soul Craft’s new digs inhabit a tire business that had since closed
Students at Tennessee Tech University will soon have another way to get their java fix just steps from campus, and they have two Tech alums to thank.
Tyler (’12, accounting) and Anna Dunn (’11, psychology) recently opened a campus-adjacent location of Soul Craft Coffee at 715 Mahler Avenue, directly behind Tech’s Oakley Hall. They originally launched the local specialty coffee spot in 2017, first as a food truck, and then with a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Cookeville two years later.
The Dunns, married since 2014, say that the opportunity to bring their small business to their alma mater’s doorstep is a “full-circle experience,” and one that began in the most unlikely of ways.
“The then-owner of the building got in touch with us last fall. He even went to Tyler’s dad’s place of business to try and get his number,” Anna recalled. “He was trying to reach us because he wanted us to turn the space into another Soul Craft Coffee location.”
The property owner, unknown to Tyler and Anna at the time, had visited Soul Craft’s downtown location with his granddaughter and had been so impressed by the café’s products and customer service that he took the unusual step of cold calling the couple to persuade them.
“He could have called anyone,” said Anna. “The fact that he called us, and he felt so strongly about wanting us to be there – that’s how it all came to be.”
Soon after, Soul Craft’s new location began to take shape. The Dunns hired Molly Perry, a graphic artist at Tech, to help with color choices. Extra power outlets were added for students working on homework, while side rooms offer the perfect setting for group projects and book clubs. An accent wall was even painted lilac purple in a subtle nod to their neighbor.
The coffee shop’s new digs inhabit a tire business that had since closed, continuing the revitalization of a block of real estate with new destinations for students, faculty and staff to gather. A restaurant called “Cookeville Pizza & Pub” also recently opened in an old laundromat next door.
For the Dunns, taking old things, polishing them off and making them feel new again is something of a tradition.
Their coffee shop’s downtown location was formerly a dated office space with carpet floors and dark brown walls, so they renovated the building to reveal exposed brick and original hardwood flooring.
Likewise, when fire damaged a downtown Cookeville sporting goods store in 2020, the couple decided to buy the property and lovingly restore it. Their roastery business, Easy Tiger Coffee Roasters, now occupies part of the space.
“I can see the potential of something, a building or even a community, maybe more than others,” said Anna. “We always knew that Cookeville had the potential to be a place that embraced specialty coffee – good coffee from good roasters with housemade syrups – and we would not have felt the same if this were not a college town.”
As for the menu, the Dunns emphasize that Soul Craft’s full suite of food and beverage options will be available at both locations, but the couple does have some special offerings and surprises for the campus-adjacent location in mind for the future.
“Anything you get at the downtown café, you’ll be able to get at our new location,” said Anna.
Filled with their own memories of college life at Tech – which included taking backpacking and ballroom dancing electives to have shared classes across their divergent majors – the Dunns now say they aim to further elevate the college town experience for today’s Tech students and, hopefully, give them reasons to stay planted in the community long after graduating.
“I’m super passionate about creating ways to keep students here in Cookeville,” said Anna. “We love being at a place where we can invest in college students, hire them, serve them, care about them and hopefully teach those that work with us customer service, sales and things they can carry into their professional lives.”
Soul Craft Coffee’s campus and downtown locations are both open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information visit on Facebook and Instagram at @soulcraftcoffee for the latest updates and specials.
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