Kincaid’s is an ode to Alyssa’s late brother, Justin Kincaid, who died in a car accident in 2018. One of the last memories the two have together is sharing a conversation with a dear friend over an americano.
Our Name
Our Dream
You might (& probably) have no clue who I am - and that’s okay. You don’t need to know me. What matters is that the conversation we share leaves an impact, so that you remember what we do. The truth is - I don’t have the kind of experience that makes me a business owner - or even a barista. But I do believe that no one really knows what they’re doing when they start something new. Sometimes they fail, a lot of times they fail, but other times they create the lightbulb, fly the first plane, put ink on paper - and thankfully, someone figured out how to cool down a room. I also believe the reason most of us don’t chase an idea is because we’re scared to fail. But imagine if fear had stopped the people who came before us - if we still lived in dark rooms without light, couldn’t travel across the ocean, or didn’t even have books to read. Life would be so boring.
So maybe, just maybe, one day people will look back and remember the little coffee shop that started on the back of a Yamahopper and grew into something bigger than itself.
Our Goal
We don’t want to be just another coffee business. We want to make a real impact - on our community, our friends, the people we serve, and most importantly, the ones doing the hardest work: the farmers. We source our beans through direct trade, which means farmers are paid a fair wage. That income goes a long way - it helps provide education for their children, clean water for their families, and shared meals around the dinner table. When you support this small business in North Georgia, we want you to know the kind of impact you’re making on the lives of these farmers and their families.
This is me, Alyssa Phillips - I started this business with the conviction that the Lord designed the family unit to be together - and dignified work for farmers is one of the ways we live out that design. I am usually found in the bus with the iconic calendar mug in my hand with a washed Guatemalan in it.
Our Approach
I work with Chick-fil-A Operators in my day job, and I often hear the phrase: “I’m not in the chicken business, I’m in the people business.” And it’s true. I see so many Operators investing not only in their teams and their restaurants, but also in their communities.
Over the last two years, I’ve learned more about the business than I probably care to admit - but one thing is true: they’re doing something right. The common denominator we see, again and again, is their relentless focus on people.
That perspective has shaped how I think about Kincaid’s, and what to focus on when starting a business. Coffee, at its core, isn’t just about what’s in the cup. It’s about the people behind it - the farmers who grow it, the baristas who serve it, and the communities who gather around it. At Kincaid’s, we want to carry that same “people business” mindset into everything we do.
Whether it’s paying fair wages to farmers, sourcing in ways that sustain communities for the long term, or creating a welcoming space here at Kincaid’s, our vision is bigger than coffee. Just like the Operators, we believe that if we take care of people first, the rest will follow. Kincaid’s is - and always will be - a people-forward business, starting with the farmer.