“Big Face is my coffee brand. It doesn’t have a permanent spot yet, so we’re doing pop-ups [such as on Jungle Plaza in Miami, FL]. Big Face is my way of expressing my love for coffee and traveling the world to taste coffee and meet wonderful people who share a love for coffee. It’s been a fun project, challenging at times, but throughout my career, the most challenging things are always the most worthwhile. I’m going to stick this one out because I’m going to take over the world with Big Face.”

“I’m a huge fan of Onyx, and Andrea [Allen], one of its founders, is a world barista champ. I love her because she’s always making it about competition when she thinks she’s a better barista than me. I love the fact that she never lets me forget it in humble ways, though. The people at Onyx really know what they’re doing at a high level. And when you think of coffee, and if you have a brand and what you want it to be like, if you were comparing, and I never compare, but Onyx would be that one.”

“When I’m in Amsterdam, I always stop by Venu. The people there are incredible. The space is so light and bright, and it’s down a street where cars can’t go, so all you have are bikes and foot traffic. The baristas are so nice, and they do great pour-overs. They always ask me what I like to drink and how they can make something special for me. Last time I was at Venu, I spent hours having great conversations over coffee. It’s a staple for me. I love Amsterdam, and I love everything about Venu.”

“People suggested I try out Barista Lab. So we took some Big Face coffee and went there. It was an amazing time enjoying coffee. I remember it was packed to the T in a good way. We had a little mini barista brawl, and I won! The energy is incredible. You could tell that this is everybody’s coffee shop. That’s the family atmosphere that I want. They were so open to trying my coffee and telling me the honest truth of what they thought about my coffee, and they said it was really good.”

“Kyle is the owner of this spot, and when I was in the playoffs, he would come over to the house to make coffee with us. I was excited for him to open his own place. Forin is on a little street and has a very intimate coffee shop feel. You can sit in the window; they have a great food menu, and then you have Kyle, the happy-go-lucky individual. He is always smiling, always trying to get everybody the best possible cup of coffee they could dream of and ask for. Forin will never let you down.”

“Everybody’s busy, y’all! This spot is just like it sounds: Melissa, the owner, is very busy, and you can get coffee only by appointment here. It’s a real ’90s vibe there—the cassette tapes, old TVs, posters, and the music. It’s just lovely because you literally feel like you’re at home when you sit on the couch. The second that you walk in there, it’s just you and her, there are no phones allowed. And I love that, because you really focus on the conversation.”

“This spot is remarkable. They definitely made me rethink everything when it comes to coffee and how to serve it. They have coffee in every form. They even handed me a coffee that was in a beer mug. It blew my mind! I don’t want to give away anybody’s secrets, but yeah, that place is at the top of the list. It made me realize that coffee is for everybody, which is one thing that we want for Big Face as well.”

“I travel a lot, so I get to see a lot of different coffee spots, and Oklahoma City Elemental Coffee is the spot. The people there are amazing. It seems like every time I’m in there, they have something new that I haven’t tried before. I sit down, and it goes from one cup to four cups, and we’re having great conversations. We have talked a lot about Big Face and what’s important to my brand. They really care at Elemental Coffee.”

“I stopped by here for the first time recently. I love the setup; it’s cozy, light, and bright. People are enjoying their coffee here. They have a great Slayer espresso machine on the bar. Plus, they have Ghost Town Oats milk. I had four back-to-back cappuccinos, really freaking incredible! The baristas there were talkative and made me a bunch of different drinks. They do it with so much love and precision. I loved seeing people enjoying the coffee and having great conversations here.”

“I have to give my hometown some love. You see incredible human beings at Re:Bar that are part of a small town who are doing coffee at a high level and having fun, enjoying the conversations with all the people that come through. ‘Hey, did you go to the game the other night?’ You know, yada yada yada. I love everything about my small town and wouldn’t change that for the world. If you ever go through Tomball, please stop by Re:bar Cafe.”