Opening a coffee shop might seem like an unlikely path for a documentary filmmaker, but for Brooke Bierhaus Sutton, the connection is clear.

Connection is at the core concept of Sutton’s own documentary film, “The Connected Cup,” launched in 2019, and inside her new vegan cafe, Third Space Coffee in Bentonville, Arkansas.

“I’ve just always been amazed at how coffee is a language itself,” Sutton recently told DCN. “People who know me would probably laugh at this because I am somewhat extroverted, but I feel like I’m kind of socially awkward, to an extent that coffee gave me an avenue to know how to interact socially. If you meet someone and ask them to go out for a cup of coffee, you have parameters on how long that conversation will go. It just provides a nice, easy way to get to know someone. And I’ve always really loved that.” “The Connected Cup” followed four years of research and production, including 318 interviews with coffee producers, farmers and consumers in nine different countries. The collected stories highlight the impacts of coffee as a connector and source of comfort in people’s lives.  These concepts stayed with Sutton, and when she learned that a new animal rescue, Best Friends Animal Society, was seeking proposals to open a coffee shop in the space, she saw it as an opportunity to create a community coffee nexus. With her husband Don Sutton and business partner Josemiguel Gomez, Sutton submitted a winning proposal, and the three were left with a year to plan out the shop.  “It took us so long to come up with the name,” she shared. “We knew we wanted our mission to be reflected in the name… Third spaces are so important in society, so we thought the name should let people know that it’s their third space – a place to come in, enjoy and feel welcome.” The coffee shop sources its roasted coffee from Quapaw Nation O-Gah-Pah Coffee Roasters in Joplin, Missouri.

Drip coffees, espresso-based drinks, cold brews, teas and kids’ drinks are served alongside the vegan food menu of burritos and baked treats — all within furry-friendly surroundings. 

“It’s a true cat cafe,” Sutton said. “We have adoptable dogs and cats in the whole resource center.”

For guests on the move, Third Space Coffee offers a walk-up and bike-up window. 

“Bentonville is branding itself as the mountain bike capital of the world, so biking, in general, is huge here,” Sutton said. “It’s fun to have a bike-up window.” 

Here’s more from DCN’s recent conversation with Brooke Bierhaus Sutton…

What about coffee excites you most?

It goes back to what has always excited me, and that’s its connecting power. I think coffee is such a tool for connecting people and connecting us to how we consume food. I feel like there’s more transparency within coffee and knowing where your coffee is coming from, or at least within specialty coffee. But coffee as a language is really exciting to me. I love its ability to connect people and take you places you never really thought you’d go. Coffee took me so many places I never dreamed I’d be able to visit. 

What about coffee troubles you most?

I think I would have had a different answer a couple of years ago, but right now as a business owner, I feel like what troubles me most is the environmental impact of a coffee shop and seeing so many paper to-go cups. We use 100% compostable cups, and I wish larger chains that could have a bigger impact would do so as well. 

What would you be doing if it weren’t for coffee?

I would still be working in film.