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Drinking coffee in America. Too often it’s a solitary act: in your car at the drive-thru, getting a cup on the run, or sipping while you type away at your laptop.
Our caffeine fixes have become secondary to work and technology. Demi Chacon and Davy Ball of Now and Then want to introduce you to another way. At their 12-seat counter inside the Grand Hyatt, a niche that leads to Sean Brock’s Bar Continental, the couple will guide you on a coffee-drinking experience that is personal, educational, engaging, and fun.
It features their curated small batch beans—rare, hard-to-get, and sourced from the best roasters worldwide. Further, they employ special brewing tools and processes. Drinking the coffee itself is as nuanced as sampling a fine wine. Plus, Chacon and Ball are great conversationalists. Now and Then is unlike any other coffee bar in the city.
“We meet you as far as you want to go, guiding you into the world of coffee,” says Chacon.
The seed for it was planted years ago when Ball was a musician in a band touring the world. He became entranced with the jazz kissa in Japan—intimate listening bars that serve coffee, tea, and cocktails. He loved the focus and chill vibe. Even more, he was impressed by the Japanese dedication to perfection steeped into the beverage service. It instilled in him the notion that there were boundaries to break in how we enjoy a cuppa joe.
In Tampa, he connected with Chacon, a coworker at a coffee shop and fellow barista pursuing excellence. She was an avid participant in coffee competitions (local, regional, and national Brewer’s Cup) who had garnered first- and second-place awards. They married, and in 2021 they started Now and Then pop-ups in the Tampa area. After honing their craft there, the couple moved to Nashville in 2023, seeking a broader and more vibrant coffee and culinary community with the ultimate goal of opening a brick-and-mortar in east Nashville. Call it kismet, they met Sean Brock at a Frankies Spuntino Nashville friends- and-family event. (“Ah, you are the coffee people,” Brock said.) They shared similar interests—Leica cameras, Japanese minimalism and intentionality in life work. Brock loved their Now and Then concept and saw how its jazz kissa roots enmeshed with his planned repurposing of The Continental into Bar Continental, a vinyl listening room highlighting fine food, drink, and his 5000-plus record collection.
“It was synchronistic. And, it happened so fast,” says Ball. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of what to expect at Now and Then. The room is dimly lit, and tracks from John Coltrane’s Giant Steps play over the sound system. Each seat at the bar is set with a handcrafted placemat, a repetition of their black-and-white logo. You’ll be welcomed by Chacon and Ball to take a seat. Take time to peruse the menu of coffees and teas: one part graphic in gradations of method/intensity, from signature to espresso + milk to cold brew to pour over to espresso (and a sister graphic for the teas). The second part is descriptive, with each offering listing the bean varietal, its processing, country of origin, the roaster, the method(s) involved in preparation and service, and flavor notes. It’s a fair amount to take in, but Chacon and Ball are happy to help you figure out what will best suit you.
Caballero is a magnificent coffee, the prized Geisha cultivar grown in Honduras by the Caballero family, hand-selected and roasted by Tim Wendelboe of Oslo, Norway. (Talk about rare and hard-to-get!) It’s important to note that Ball has his own recipe for distilled water to give his brews the purest, cleanest start. You’ll be presented with a glass pitcher of the brew, a spoon, and your cup (beautifully crafted by Emilee Martin of Mineral Haus). Stir, then pour an ounce at a time to savor the honeyed notes of jasmine and mandarin.
Should you want an espresso, Ball has designed an ingenious method for its best enjoyment. He freezes the espresso cup, so that when the 205-degree steam hits it, the flavors open up at the ideal drinking temperature. The base of the cup feels warm in your hand, but the rim is cool to your lips—and the espresso is perfect. The offerings will change quarterly. But they will always offer Ritual, their signature espresso + milk + single origin chocolate. It begins with a ganache made of 70 percent Ecuadorian chocolate. The milk is from Cruze Farm Dairy of Knoxville. The beans are roasted by Ritual, a women-owned small-batch roasting company in San Francisco. Davy uses a pinch of salt as an enhancer and agave rather than sugar to avoid a blood sugar spike. The result is the richest, smoothest, most delicious mocha you’ve ever had.
The passion that Chacon and Ball have for their work is clear. They love engaging with customers about the coffee, or tea, or anything else you might have on your mind. To them, it’s simple—it’s about being human.
“We are detail-oriented. We are into the science and the art of coffee,” says Ball. “No to-go. No laptops.”
“It’s about being present. Being intentional,” adds Chacon. “Coffee is ritualistic. We may break people’s habits! And we want them to have a good time in the process.”
(1000 Broadway, Ste. 101, nowandthennashville.com)