While following his passionsand searching for what God’s plan is in his life, Anthony Miller has opened The Cup Bearer, a coffee shop that has many students talking. The Cup Bearer, located at 543 Lakeland Plaza, Cumming, Georgia 30040, has only recently been opened, yet has already attracted the attention of many students. On September 10th, 2013 Miller shared a great portion of his upbringing of The Cup Bearer.
“I started with resale and marketing,” explains Miller. As he entered his resale career he was able to make a living but was never able to truly fulfill a comfortable lifestyle. He found himself unsatisfied with the life he had created.
Miller eventually came across an espresso machine from Kennesaw State University that he tried to resell. Despite his efforts, he was never able to have the machine sold. He then began, with the help of the espresso machine, to develop an interest in coffee marketing. As a result, he pitched a marketing idea for Starbucks coffee. He was never able to develop a strong foothold in that area, but was offered a minimum wage job at one of Starbuck’s local shops. Miller took the job with an uncertain heart as he leaned heavily on God for the answers to this crisis.
While he still traveled and explored his career options, he returned to the idea of selling the espresso machine, this time on the website craigslist. He stumbled across a fully furnished coffee shop for sale that had been closed since May of 2008. After a swift investigation he decided, with the knowledge he has gained from Starbucks, to adopt the coffee shop as his own. The only furnishing missing from the shop was an espresso machine. And thus, The Cup Bearer was born.
“Eclectic, not too stuffy and no weird mixes,” is how Miller describes his shop. He enjoys finding worn, though not necessarily antique, furnishings to incorporate into the shop’s decorations. He notes on how the tile on the ceiling will hopefully be removed in the future because he feels that they do not mix with the shop’s other decorations. Miller has created an environment where people can come taste great drinks, and always feel welcome to come back again. He has mastered a type of personality that gives people an indication of friendship and care, along with a good cup of joe.
Gourmet lattés, frappes, and teas iced or hot are only a portion of what Miller offers to his guests. He has a variety of approximately 40 different teas to choose from, some being imported from Portland and New York. As the seasons change, Miller offers Pumpkin Pie lattés and frappes which taste and smell like warm pumpkin spice bread on a relaxed Thanksgiving Day. In addition, the Caramel Apple cider is described, “like being on a hay ride and tasting a caramel dipped sweet and sour apple,” according to Miller. All of these options can be enjoyed with a laid back, live musical performance every Friday and Saturday, and occasionally Thursdays. Miller provides an opportunity for beginning or experienced artists to have a little fun and gain some experience, and anyone is welcome to perform.
Miller hopes to live out God’s plan for his life as best he can, and currently he feels lead to this coffee shop. As a result, he has gone above and beyond expectations and created a coffee shop that puts up a challenge to any competitors.
