Black-led Sepia Coffee Project aims to bring specialty coffee to Highland Park
The project’s founder, Highland Park native Martell Mason, hopes to open a brick-and-mortar roastery and tasting room in the city by this summer.
Sepia Coffee Project founder Martell Mason has attracted investors from around the country to support the idea of bringing specialty coffee to Highland Park.
Martell Mason has worked in the coffee trade all over the world. But when he returned to his native Highland Park, he didn’t find a coffee shop in the city. And looking around Detroit, he didn’t see Black entrepreneurs participating in the high-end coffee industry.
He founded the Sepia Coffee Project to change that. Sepia was one of the top four finalists of the Hatch Detroit Competition in 2023. Now, metro Detroiters can find products from his coffee roaster at the Congregation, the Gathering Coffee, Monger’s Provisions and more than 30 businesses in the area.
“We’re happy that customers are able to purchase outside but we want to try to create and provide a space for people to come inside of the Sepia world in order to enjoy a coffee,” Mason said.
And soon Mason hopes people will be able to visit the Sepia shop in Highland Park. He purchased a building on Hamilton Avenue south of Puritan after attempts to buy a city-owned property fell through.
“I would say something’s brewing,” Mason said about development on Hamilton in Highland Park. “There’s been a lot of great energy in the city, again.”
He says Hamilton’s proximity to thriving neighborhoods like Boston Edison, Palmer Park and the University District make it a perfect spot for new community-focused businesses.
“Our property is two blocks north of where the Joe Lewis Greenway will be coming through Highland Park. And we’re very close to the Midland, the art gallery there that already has a solid following.”
Mason and Sepia have attracted investors from around the country to support the idea of bringing specialty coffee to Highland Park. It is still collecting community investors through its Wefunder campaign.
He says his goal for the Sepia roastery building will help create a culture of sustainable community-focused development in Highland Park and areas that haven’t gotten the kind of attention Midtown and Downtown have.
Mason hopes the Sepia Coffee Tasting Room and roasting facility will open by the end of the summer.
For more information about the Sepia Coffee Project, visit sepiacoffeeproject.com.
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