Music Row businesswoman Missi Gallimore brings Coffee and Coconuts to Berry Farms

Coffee and Coconuts
Missi Gallimore, owner
4000 Hughes Crossing suite 120, Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 905-6999
www.facebook.com/CoffeeandCoconutsTN

Say the name Missi Gallimore around Music Row and everyone will know who you are talking about. She and husband/producer Byron Gallimore are the team behind the careers of Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Keith Urban.

While she has spent her career in search of great songs for some of country’s biggest names, Gallimore also owns three publishing companies, is doing A&R (artist and repertoire) for Urban’s new record and a duets album for Tim and Faith. But amid all of that, she wanted to find a way to include two of her other favorite things in her business life: the beach and coffee.

After years of research, planning and development, in June of this year, Gallimore opened the beachy-themed Coffee and Coconuts in the developing Berry Farms area just south of Franklin. The busy music mogul sat down over a latte to talk about how this side business dream became reality.

How did you come up with the idea to open a coffee shop?

I had been wanting to do something outside of the music industry because everything I do is music. I wanted an outlet and in addition to loving music, I also love coffee and the beach. At first, I wanted to do something in Alys or Rosemary Beach, but the distance made it hard. I was sitting across the street at Tito’s one day and they were finishing building this place and it just popped into my head to do it here.

What made Berry Farms a good location for you?

We live in Thompson’s Station and have been watching this area grow for a while. It’s a little scary, but this is a 600-acre development and there is all kinds of stuff coming here. It’s close to us and we thought it would be a good place to start. With Lee Company, Dave Ramsey, Hampton Inn and businesses like that coming here, it’s definitely going to be great.

The beachy vibe in here is great. How did you decide on the look and feel?

We go to the Exumas with Tim and Faith a lot. They have an island that has a very special place in my heart. I just love the whole white sand, islandy, clean vibe. Every shell in here Faith and I dug up. We spend hours just digging for shells. The pictures on the walls here are of our kids in the Exumas. I just wanted that beachy islandy, vacation kind of feel.

And the pink flamingos in the ladies’ room?

That just randomly happened. Everything in here is taken from something I saw on Pinterest. I saw this wallpaper on Pinterest and I thought “Oh my gosh, I have to find that wallpaper.” We see on Instagram that people take selfies in there with the flamingos.

How did you come up with the name Coffee and Coconuts?

The name came from when I think of coconuts, it makes me think of being on vacation. We serve our coconut water in real coconuts, too!

What was your goal in opening this business?

All Byron and I have done is in the music business. We’ve been talking for a long time about doing a little side thing just to get away from the music business a little bit. We have lived and breathed it for so long. I still love it and I still have a passion for finding songs, but it’s nice to have something else on the side.

Do you end up bringing the music business down here?

Yes. I come here and do business a lot. It’s a little far from Music Row, but some of the song plugger groups I work with come here and we sit back there in the corner and they play me songs. I do it whenever I can.

How do you manage owning this business and being busy on the Row?

I have damn good people helping me. I have an assistant who I rely on a lot, her name is Susie Joyce. I have Spencer Connatser managing this place. Spencer was a French teacher at BGA (Battle Ground Academy). He worked at Starbucks and he knew his coffee. He had been consulting with me through the process. One day I said, “do you want to run this place?” He said, “I thought you’d never ask!” We are learning all of this together. You have got to surround yourself with a great team.

Do you bounce back and forth a lot?

I do. I come in here early in the mornings and I work. I am very hands-on. About 10, I leave and go do my music business stuff. I come back around 3 and I work here and do music business stuff. I stay until we close. That’s how I make it all work.

The coffee must be pretty good to keep you fueled throughout your day?

Yes! I went to every coffee shop in town when I was doing my research before we opened. I stalked them all. I discovered Muletown Coffee out of Columbia. I love those guys. They are all songwriters from Muscle Shoals, so it was a perfect fit for me. I met with Revelator Coffee as well. Austin is also a singer songwriter, so for now we brew those two coffees.

Originally Published in The Tennessean

By Melonee Hurt