Our Story

It started in a 1200 sq ft coffeehouse

In 2004, Frothy Monkey opened in a 1200 square foot bungalow in the transitional 12South neighborhood. A year and a half later, current Managing Partner and visionary Ryan Pruitt, joined the local coffeehouse’s staff, eventually becoming General Manager. Ryan’s vision for Frothy Monkey’s success and growth inspired him to purchase the company in 2011 with a small group of partners.

Since the ownership change, Frothy Monkey’s growth has exploded, expanding to include four full service restaurant locations in Nashville, one in Franklin, one in Chattanooga, and a wholesale BAKERY. In 2014 coffee sales had reached a volume that justified bringing coffee roasting in-house. Frothy Monkey Roasting Co. opened its Nashville based operation at the INK Building in the spring of 2015 after spending the prior year roasting at a partner facility in St. Louis.

The current operating partner owners led by Ryan Pruitt include locals, Chef Chase Ingalls, Jennifer Sheets (Marketing and Creative Director), and Ryan Moloney (Operations).

The future of the American coffeehouse

Despite all of the growth, Frothy Monkey is still neighborhood focused. Pruitt’s vision of the future of the American Coffeehouse is this- come to Frothy Monkey expecting great coffee, and discover that you can enjoy breakfast through dinner, a glass of wine or a pint in a creative and approachable atmosphere. A true all day cafe. Though the customer demographics vary in each neighborhood we inhabit, there is a common thread of quality, local/regional and single origin food and beverage relationships, accessibility to customers, and the comfort of a traditional coffeehouse with an expanded menu of offerings from morning through the day and into the evening. As Frothy Monkey continues to grow, the intent is to invest in areas where we can be a contributing neighbor.

What is an All Day Cafe anyway? Learn more here >