Meet Nathan & Crystal Tompkins | Coffee Shop owners and Good Vibe Facilitators

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathan & Crystal Tompkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan & Crystal, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind our success is our commitment to good vibes and human connection weaved throughout our brand. Before you even get to Black Bear Coffee Shop, you will hear the good vibe music that plays to the boardwalk. When you walk through the door, the first thing you will notice is the atmosphere. Natural wood and stone along with copper accents and warm lighting create a cozy space that feels like a warm hug. Next, you will be greeted by our friendly baristas who genuinely care about making your day better and your drink delicious. While you are waiting for your drink to be made, you will experience our little coffee shop community where conversations and laughter flow easily. The cherry on top is the mouthwatering, craft made, custom beverage in hand.

What should our readers know about your business?
Our journey to Black Bear has been full of triumphs and lessons learned. Crystal started drinking coffee as a young teen with her parents growing up. Life lessons were taught on lazy mornings drinking coffee together. Crystal, besides being an owner of Black Bear Coffee, is a professional photographer. Her artistic abilities are seen in the branding and interior design throughout Black Bear. Through her 14 years as a professional photographer, she has built a brand centered not just on capturing the soul and beauty in her clients, but also cultivating a welcoming/accepting environment at each session. She has brought these same principles into Black Bear. I (Nathan) grew up in a family business in a small town in Texas where I first learned how to connect with people through the examples of my father. Treating each customer as though they were your only one, is a principle he preached often. Coffee was always an important start to the day. Gathering around with other coworkers, drinking our first cup, and getting the plan for the day was always my favorite part. When I left the family business, I set out to find my passion. I wanted to create something that fed my soul as well as others. We decided it was time to get brave and put all our chips on our dream of opening a coffee shop. Our first date was in a coffee shop, where we sat and said to each other how amazing it would be to open one. One thing we have both learned through this journey is how important it is to find your passion. You know it’s your passion when you would do it for free.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Cloudcroft is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream! This mountain top village is full of hiking, camping, mountain biking, and a charming downtown with shopping and delicious places to eat. Obviously to start the day, we would recommend a craft coffee from Black Bear Coffee Shop paired with a gluten free mouthwatering cookie from Iron Crumble. If you’re looking for a home style breakfast, we would send you down the road to Dusty Boots Cafe. For lunch, you must try Mad Jack’s nationally recognized barbecue or Toni’s Mexican Grill. There are lots of great hiking trails that take you through some of the history of this quaint mountain village. The Mexican Trestle trail runs along the path that the railroad ran on and ends at a historic wooden railway trestle that is still intact. The Osha trail and the Rim trail are equally as nice. Both offer vistas where you will see the famous White Sands National Monument, which is a beautiful national park known for its majestic white sand! Since Cloudcroft is surrounded by National Forest, there are lots of campgrounds (developed & not) that are not far from town. If shopping is your jam, Burro Street offers lots of charming options. You can find outdoor gear, fine jewelry, unique art, and more. To wrap up the day, catch a sunset at Haynes Canyon Vista or head over to the Cloudcroft Brewing Company for some locally brewed beer, wood fired pizza, and live music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Black Bear was created in six months with the help of our friend and neighbor Ray Rutledge. He graciously donated his time and talent to help us remodel and transform the historical space that Black Bear calls home. Ray is a retired accountant who has a home in Cloudcroft across the street from us. He offered to help us fix up an old post office building from the 1900’s just to help us bring this dream into reality. Ray is a role model to us and we learned the value of community and human connection through his actions. His imprint is felt in the bones of our business. We aspire to be mentors and share our unique gifts and wisdom as Ray did with us.

Website: www.mybbcoffee.com

Instagram: @blackbearcoffeenm

Facebook: www.facebook.com/blackbearcoffeeshop

Image Credits
Crystal Tompkins Photography