HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. – Martell Mason, founder of Sepia Coffee, aims to revive specialty coffee and a community-focused roastery in his hometown of Highland Park.
From his current café on East Grand Blvd. in Detroit, Mason is asking the public to help fund the next phase of his business: a larger roastery and a community café in a neighborhood he says has been underserved.
Sepia Coffee started as a small, specialty roaster and café that emphasizes high-quality beans and the human stories behind them.
“We have coffees from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Burundi,” Mason said, describing the company’s global sourcing. “Coffee is a very nostalgic thing. It connects us to our past. It connects us to the people.”
The company’s operations have grown quickly.
Mason says weekly roasting volume has increased by 200%, prompting the need for a dedicated, larger space.
To support that growth and create a community hub, Sepia’s design concepts for a Highland Park location are complete — but the project still needs funding to move forward.
“Highland Park, unfortunately, is still underserved and undervalued,” Mason said. “So, I immediately saw potential to bring small businesses back into the city. To bring those tax dollars back into the city. So that we could use that momentum and energy to get others from outside to come in.”
Sepia Coffee has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $50,000 to complete the Highland Park buildout.
The team is working on its building permit and hopes to secure it by November.
Mason said the campaign is time-sensitive — the company is trying to raise the needed funds over the next two weeks.
“We need to raise $50,000 to get the Highland Park location open,” Mason said. “What we are doing is going to truly help a city that has struggled.”
Mason frames the roastery and café not just as a business expansion but as a community investment.
Besides producing small-batch specialty roasts, Sepia plans to create a gathering space that supports local entrepreneurs and brings economic activity back to Highland Park.