Will Harvill, owner of Bizarre, said owning a coffee is a labor of love. Photo by Emma Owen/ Blazernews Editor
Emma Owen
Blazernews Editor
[email protected]
Serving coffee, entrées and treats with a twist, Bizarre: The Coffee Bar has been serving Birmingham since 2018 and is located less than ten minutes from campus.
Owned by Will Harvill, Bizarre brings a unique flare to the coffee game by selling alcoholic beverages along with their coffee menu.
“We’re a coffee bar that sells alcohol, which is rare within itself,” Harvill said. “We say that’s what makes us ‘Bizarre’, all these additional aspects of the coffee bar theme.”
Beyond being a coffee shop that sells alcohol, Harvill said his menu stands out from other coffee shops in the area.
“We’ve got nachos, we’ve got tacos, we’ve got an amazing salad, we’ve got amazing chicken salad sandwiches,” Harvill said. “Instead of the small pastries you’d find in a regular coffee bar, you’ll find a big slab of cake, key lime, red velvet (and) chocolate. Just amazing cake from an amazing baker.”
Harvill said that for him, owning this business is a labor of love.
“(I love) all of it,” Harvill said. “What I brought to (Bizarre) is 20 years of management experience, plus I’m a bartender by trade.”
Harvill said the support he receives from customers keeps him driven and enthusiastic about owning a business.
“Every week when I look at my bills and think that I could go back to corporate America and making great money, all it takes is the customers coming in and saying how much they enjoy the concept and how much they enjoy the food or enjoy our artwork,” Harvill said. “That’s what makes me keep going.”
Harvill said that when owning a business, it’s important to surround yourself with a positive support group. For him, he said his support group is his family.
“My sister (and) my brothers are very instrumental,” Harvill said. “I’ve got some cousins who are entrepreneurs who are very successful and help drive me and help motivate me.”
Harvill said owning a successful business does not happen overnight.
“It takes time, you’ll get there if you let your heart drive it,” Harvill said.“Find some cause greater than money that will motivate you.”
Harvill said community support is important for Bizarre and that he has started partnerships with other local businesses.
“We’ve bought into some local aesthetics from artists,” Harvill said. “We’ve brought in more local businesses such as our cake which is by My Sweetheart Bakery, we’ve got a local black owned coffee brand which is our house brand.”
Kareemah Harvill, sister of Bizarre’s owner, said she was enthusiastic about her brother chasing his calling to business ownership.
“(Entrepreneurship) is in his blood,” Kareemah Harvill said. “He has a really nice spot in the heart of downtown and he’s offering something that not many places are offering, so that’s exciting.
Nitin Gharpure, a customer at Bizarre, said he would recommend this coffee shop due to the cozy environment of the business.
“It had a really nice and quiet atmosphere,” Gharpure said. “The owner (was) really friendly and it was the perfect place to grab a bite to eat between classes.”
