Horizon Line: Unique dedication to sustainability
by Hannah Nuss
There in an aerated lightness upon entering. In facing the quaint coffee bar, yellow light streams in from behind in sharp, angular beams. The white brick walls welcome the sun, crafting a bright clean sheet across the perimeter of the space. Real plants occupy the floor wherever there is spare room, piercing the white with a forrest green, soaking in the glow. There is the anticipated screeching of coffee machinery — the grinding of beans, the frothing of foam, and the wailing of faucets.
Horizon Line Coffee is a coffee bar and roastery with a special affinity towards doing the right thing. Co-owners Brad Nam and Brad Penna started the shop with a distinct goal of community engagement. As transplants from California, they’ve done a decent job thus far. Horizon Line recently collaborated with the local Exile Brewing Co. to create an American Porter beer named for the shop. But their unique concoctions don’t stop there. Horizon Line is known for its creative seasonal lattes and mocktails, served as elegant cocktails for guilt-free day drinking.
The shop is located in the West End Artist District of downtown Des Moines, just a few blocks over from the city’s iconic Pappajohn Sculpture Park. And they’re living up to the artistic setting. The regulars and baristas alike are often artists themselves, congregated on barstools, creating away. The coffee bar is often populated with friends or those who are soon to become friends of the employees. The calming low roar of chatter is nearly constant.
Horizon Line exists in a charming simplicity. Minimalist high tops align to the brick wall on the right. A blank canvas flag for Des Moines is poised on the wall between two fern leaves, a proud declaration: this shop belongs here. These are tables that seem to always be occupied with the exception of a single spot just for you. The cherry-wood surfaces have the logo subtly carved in the jagged corners. The emblem itself is a coffee cherry composed of two black-line leaves with four round berries below it. The logo was designed by Nam’s brother, a personal touch from home.
Co-owner, Brad Penna, has the logo tattooed on his left forearm. This places means a lot to those invested, and they dually want to do something meaningful. Their purpose is to integrate community, coffee, and social awareness into one white-brick building. And they’re accomplishing this through their recently implemented sustainability program. The shop now uses exclusively reusable glassware, including to-go drinks. Hot beverages come with free cozies. Even the napkins are made of cloth.
“Businesses have a moral responsibility to care about something larger than just making a profit,” Penna said. “This is our way of making the environmental crisis more manageable, or at least better.”
Perhaps the most notable feature is a black-line mural that occupies the back wall. The art emulates a tangible horizon, with a dark, disappearing sun hiding behind mountain peak silhouettes. Avery Williams, barista and artist, made the mural himself upon their opening. It’s a homage to the workplace that has morphed into a home
“I really enjoy the people who work here and who come here,” Williams said. “I probably spend more time with these people than I do with my girlfriend or with my family. It’s easy to get close to people here.”
And it’s true. There is a unique intimacy in spending time at Horizon Line Coffee. Penna agrees with a proclamation: “We want to continuously serve people who are thoughtful and caring. Many of these people are friends now.”
