Silver Bridge Coffee Company, based in Gallia County, can be found in Athens’ grocery stores and popular shops. Lorraine Walker, the owner and founder of Silver Bridge, started roasting small batches in a popcorn popper for friends and family and now uses her business as a way to support those around her.
Walker began the founding of her coffee company in 2008 by transforming her laundry room into a workspace to meet the guidelines enforced by the United States Department of Agriculture. After the laws were changed in 2012 regarding cottage food production, Walker invested in a roasting facility.
When Walker decided she wanted to sell to coffee shops, she realized there were not many in her area. Walker said the shops near her were mostly owned by men, and they were not looking to carry her products.
“I'm in my late 40s, early 50s, a mom of five kids, and drive up in my minivan,” Walker said. “I couldn't even get the coffee shops to take a sample to try. They wouldn't even give me the time of day.”
Walker was then introduced to Dave Shull, the then-manager of Kroger on East State Street, who retired in 2015. Walker said Shull was the one who got Silver Bridge noticed in Athens, and her sales took off after setting up in the Athens Farmers Market, allowing her to purchase her first pallet of coffee, bags and labels for her assortment of blends.
“(Shull) is the one who really gave me my break,” Walker said. “Then when I got into the Kroger, I came in and started sampling, and everybody in Athens was like, ‘Oh, well, you should come to the farmers market.’”
Since then, Walker has been selling at farmers' markets in Columbus, getting up at 3:30 a.m. every Saturday to set up her stand. She said her kids have worked in the stand many times to help pay for their college, and said her happiest memories are from working alongside her children, selling coffee.
Silver Bridge coffee is now found in several locations around Athens, including Seaman’s Cardinal Supermarket, Fluff Bakery and Big Run Kava Bar.
The owner of Big Run Kava Bar, Shaylee Tucker, has been carrying Silver Bridge coffee for over a year, and said the roaster stepped up when Big Run needed a new coffee carrier quickly.
“I just wanted it to be really good coffee,” Tucker said. “I mean, there's obviously a lot of coffee shops around here in the first place, so having something good was important. Silver Bridge has been amazing.”
Tucker said working with Silver Bridge has been easy. She said it accommodated her in delivering coffee when she ran out, since the usual delivery was missed due to the winter storm this January. Big Run carries Silver Bridge’s espresso, including its decaf, which Tucker said tastes delicious and pulls a good shot.
Kindred Market and Café, a family-owned grocer focused on sourcing local and staying sustainable, also carries Silver Bridge and has been since it opened in 2019. Anabel Hernandez, a produce specialist at Kindred, said she especially enjoys Silver Bridge’s sweet “Snow Angel” blend, commenting on its pleasant smell.
“(Silver Bridge) is local, and we try to carry as many local products as possible,” Hernandez said. “They're also fair trade, which is great. They source their ingredients well.”
Buckeye Military Moms have partnered with Silver Bridge on several occasions, providing coffee to those in active duty. Not only does Walker make an effort to support her local community and businesses, but also those around the world.
Silver Bridge sells many varieties of Café Femenino Peruvian Coffee, a company that sources its coffee from women-owned farms, and provides grants to women and their families in Peru, Guatemala and Colombia. Walker partnered with Café Femenino in 2020 to fully fund 13 early childhood centers in Peru.
Walker said she could see her impact on the community when she visited a couple of years ago to witness kids graduate kindergarten from the childhood centers, and recounted how the families and children were so appreciative of her small gifts.
“I didn't have a lot of room in my suitcase, so I just got stickers from the dollar store, and you gave those kids a page of stickers, and you thought you had given them a huge toy,” Walker said. “What I love about this foundation is that all of the administration and everything is all done by volunteers. So the money that you give, 100% of it goes to the children.”
Recent years have been “really tough” for Walker, who said coffee prices have tripled in the past couple of years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, coffee prices were 32.98% higher in 2025 than in 2021, which is a 93-cent difference.
Although business might be hard sometimes, Walker still supports the Café Femenino Foundation, supporting the children and women-owned farms however she can. She said coffee is a “positive business,” and expressed her appreciation for her customers and partners.
“People, they love coffee … both the people that you work with and the people that you supply coffee to,” Walker said.
