Women of Influence

A Cuppa’ Java and a side of Love – Melissa Hall

Melissa and Mark Hall moved from Seattle to Tennessee in 2004, bouncing to Nolensville in 2009. “I worked in hospitality since I was 14,” Melissa explained. “It didn’t take long to decide Nolensville was the perfect setting for a coffee shop, but not just any coffee shop. I’ve always been about people, and I envisioned Mama’s Java as a community hub.”

Mama’s Java opened in January 2010, and “We’ve seen steady, consistent growth. It’s a destination point, a meeting place where people come to discuss new projects, organizations, and charities that will benefit our residents,” Melissa said.

“We don’t gossip but we do network. That’s how we connect people, and we do it over some of the best coffee on the planet and a full menu from 6:30am to 3pm.”

Melissa and Mark were faced with one challenge in particular when they refined plans for Mama’s Java. They both are well-versed in the best brews in the country and were disappointed when they couldn’t pull them together in their new location.

Neither Melissa nor Mark is easily defeated. As a matter of fact, a challenge makes their blood flow faster. They decided to make their own brews, developing well-loved, in-house air roasts to go with the friendly atmosphere. Now, 14 years later, the air roasting process, which Mark handles when he’s not on duty as a firefighter in nearby Franklin, adds a special perk to Mama’s Java’s reputation.

“We started doing our roasting in 2013, when we bought out our supplier,” Melissa explained. “The result is a consistently smooth coffee with no bitterness, because all of the outside green casings are removed before roasting. Have a few cups of air roasted brew and then try returning to whatever you were drinking. You can’t do it!”

The center of what the Halls bought was an enormous Sivetz air roaster. It’s visible to patrons through a large window in the dining area. Instead of tumbling the beans in a hot metal drum where they can burn, the roaster produces a bed of hot air to float the beans as they roast. There’s no burning, regardless of how dark the roast.

“We’re so well connected with the community,” Melissa said. “People come in here asking for all types of information. Referrals. Recommendations. That’s what we want. That’s what makes us a hub.

“During COVID, we relied on many of our business relationships for hard-to-find household staples such as toilet paper. We try to utilize Mama’s Java every way we can to give back to the community, including food drives. Our commitment to Nolensville is at the heart of whatever we do.

“We want everything to be a personal experience. If we know someone is having an especially bad time over something, we make sure to give them an extra portion of lovin.’ We pay attention to our customers.”