the Brotherwood story
Most nine year olds dream of being astronauts, police officers, and doctors. Luke Howard, the youngest of five children, had different plans. After his first trip to Heine Brothers Coffee, he declared his future career: a barista.
Perhaps, at nine-years-old, it wasn’t the coffee that intrigued him, but the buzzing atmosphere in the coffee shop. It was a building filled with chatter. While a customer smiles eagerly at the pastries on display, another greets an old friend they haven’t seen in years. In one corner sits a couple holding hands across the table, while in the other, a group of students are eagerly planning a service project.
At Brotherwood, coffee is synonymous with connection. It’s the excuse we need to see that friend we’ve missed dearly, or to spend time with just ourselves. It can be the reason we get out of bed and start the day, or the reason we sit down for a moment and just enjoy the morning. Connection with others, ourselves, and our community is the Brotherwood Coffee commitment.
It’s human nature to crave a single, concrete reason and solution to the problems we confront. Unfortunately, coffee, itself, will not nurse the wounds of mental illness, suicide, and grief. It is the conversation and compassion that we stir into each cup that will help us heal and grow.
Days before losing his older brother, Jay, to suicide in 2024, Luke shared with him his dream of becoming a barista. On a torn piece of notebook paper, he drew the floor plans for his future coffee shop and designated a job to each member of the family. Jay would handle the finances, his mom would bake the muffins, dad would handle the cash register, and his other siblings would handle the drive-thru. “We’ll call it Brotherwood,” he proudly announced . Jay liked the plan. Little did he know what a major role he would play in it.
After his death, his family struck out to bring more connection and compassion to their community. Brotherwood Coffee promises to donate 100% of its profits to sucide prevention programs, build connection and support networks, and fuel compassion in their communities.
For the Howards, it will always be more than a cup of coffee. What will it mean to you?
mission statement:
“At Brotherwood Coffee, our mission is to foster compassion, resilience, and empowerment while ensuring access to support and resources for suicide prevention. Through every interaction and bag of Brotherwood Coffee that we sell, we aim to create a community where compassion is abundant, resilience is nurtured, and everyone has access to the help they need.”