We’d decided to do something new this year: a pumpkin carving contest inside the roastery. It wasn’t about prizes or competition. It was about community, about creating a space where laughter, creativity, and good coffee could mix into something meaningful.
We moved our tables around, added a few more, and draped everything in Halloween colors. The brick wall with our skull-and-coffee-cup mural looked down on a sea of orange pumpkins and smiling faces. The smell of freshly roasted espresso and Three Kings lattes drifted through the air, grounding the whole event in the sound and scent that have become our signature, coffee being crafted with care.
As families settled in, parents helped little hands scoop seeds while others sketched designs. There was laughter, plenty of pumpkin guts, and even a few accidental masterpieces. One of our favorite moments was seeing strangers become teammates, sharing carving tools, ideas, and stories about past Halloweens. That’s exactly what we hoped for when we opened these doors, to make Headcount Coffee a place where connection brews just as naturally as caffeine.
Every entry in the contest contributed to a cause. The winner didn’t just earn bragging rights, they earned the chance to donate all proceeds to a Texas-based charity of their choice. Our winner chose to send the donation to the Leon Food Pantry, helping support local families right here in our community.
Moments like that show that a coffee shop can be more than a place to grab a drink, it can be a small part of something bigger.
As the event wound down, the tables were covered in pumpkin shavings and smiles. Parents snapped photos of their kids beside their carved creations, everything from traditional jack-o-lanterns to cartoon characters and quirky expressions. Some of the pumpkins even ended up on display in front of our counter for the rest of the weekend, greeting everyone who came in for their morning cup.
For us, that’s what “Headcount Life” means. It’s about community over competition, quality over quantity, and using coffee as a way to bring people together. Every roast we craft and every event we host comes from that same idea, that connection, kindness, and good coffee belong together.
And this is only the beginning. With the success of this first pumpkin carving event, we’re already planning more ways to connect. Next up is Pups & Cups, an afternoon for our coffee-loving, dog-loving friends to come out, relax, and make new memories. We’re aiming to host monthly community events, from book swaps to art nights, to keep building what we’ve started here: a true third space for Jewett and beyond.
The truth is, great coffee can’t exist in isolation. It’s not just about what’s in the cup, it’s about who’s across the table. Whether you’re stopping by for your favorite latte, joining one of our monthly gatherings, or just sharing a conversation with someone new, you’re part of this story, too.
To everyone who joined us for our first pumpkin carving contest: thank you. You brought the energy, the creativity, and the heart. Together, we turned a few pumpkins and a few cups of coffee into something truly meaningful.
And to everyone who hasn’t stopped by yet, consider this your invitation. Come for the coffee, stay for the stories, and help us keep carving out what community means, one cup at a time.
WANT TO READ MORE STORIES?
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The Ultimate Coffee Experience: Coffee Bars, Subscriptions & Freshly Ground Coffee
One of many stories shared by Headcount Coffee, where every roast tells a story — and every cup connects a community.
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