Craftwork Coffee Co.
Craftwork's original location on Camp Bowie Boulevard
Craftwork Coffee Co. started as a small coffee shop and coworking space on Camp Bowie Boulevard. That led to two more Fort Worth locations, one in Austin, and now, a new business model that will bring Craftwork into the realm of hospitality.
Rebranding as The Craftwork Group, the company is shifting its focus toward expanded services — not just coffee — within high-end apartment complexes. Similar to its Austin coffee shop, which resides within the Flatiron | Domain complex, Craftwork plans to open new locations at other multifamily developments, offering coffee, beer and wine, and poolside service.
Craftwork CEO Riley Kiltz says new locations are already in the works for the Near Southside, Houston, and Dallas, and set to open before the end of the year.
He sees the Craftwork space serving as the apartment's "watering hole," essentially the equivalent of a lobby bar within a hotel.
"What is the watering hole [at an apartment]? To date, it has been the fitness facility and the pool. When you step back, it's like, man, if I want to be connected to the place I live, I can be dripping in sweat or in a bathing suit. Neither of those sound very attractive to me," Kiltz says. "We really want to create a more casual space for people to connect."
Under the new business model, The Craftwork Group is now a three-armed company (coffee shops, roasting, and now, hospitality). But Kiltz says the company's "why" remains the same — to "draw people out of isolation and into the community."
"The heart need is there because people are isolated, but also the economic need is there for these landlords to put us in, because when people are more connected in the place they live, they stay for longer," Kiltz says. "It's a really cool moment when missional intent and economic value align."
Of course, COVID-19 and social distancing has made connecting with others complicated. Still, Kiltz says even small moments of engagement can make a difference.
"There is something to being highly engaged while we're still wearing masks, not letting that be a barrier to those moments of connection," he says. "That 15 seconds of exposure that goes to 20 seconds, that's worthwhile."
