In 2022, Avery Amstutz first got into the mobile beverage business with a cocktail bar/camper called Highball.

From it, she served craft cocktails, wine and beer at private events. 

“We built Highball in a 16-foot vintage Shasta LoFlyte camper with my dad and I doing most of the work,” Amstutz said. “It’s too short for anyone over 5-foot-11-inches to work in.”

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So when she decided to open a coffee truck this year, she set her eyes on a 24-foot Airstream her neighbor had for sale.

She transformed that vintage Airsteam into Byway Coffee Co., a sleek mobile cafe offering high-quality coffee from local roaster Comeback Coffee and sweet treats from Memphis bakeries such as Chloe’s Giant Cookies and Miss Muff‘n. Byway will officially hit the ground rolling later this month at various locations. 

The trailer took a bit of work, though. 

“It’s from 1973 and was old and rusty,” Amstutz said of the Airstream. “A lot of the interior was original — the plumbing, electricity, the kitchen, the beds. The subfloor was molding out.” 

She did the demolition herself, but she enlisted the help of professionals to help rebuild the interior into a coffee shop on wheels.

But first, she reached out to Barry Lichterman, a board member of the Overton Park Shell, to see who built The Overton Park Shell On Wheels. 

Measured House LLC co-owner Tom Edwards said he and his business partner Jeff Phelps were up for the challenge.

It took about 12 weeks, but the two transformed the Airstream into a sleek and modern coffee shop. 

“There was a lot of customization. We had to build a curved pastry window to match the curved walls of the trailer,” said Edwards, adding they also installed a lot of custom LED lighting.

Amstutz said people are the reason she wanted to open a coffee shop.

“The reason why I created this business and the love behind it has been about connection and sharing experiences,” she said. “Byways and Highball are both unique, fun and bring smiles.”

In addition to offering coffee and baked treats, expect to find seating, picnic blankets and yard games at the trailer. 

“I want to create a gathering spot,” said Amstutz.

Byway Coffee Co. officially launches next weekend. The Airstream will be parked at Overton Park from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 20, and will be at the Shelby Farms Playground from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, July 21.

For now, the Airstream will pop up around town, Amstutz said. But the goal is to eventually have set locations and possibly grow into a brick-and-mortar coffee shop.

“Right now, we are testing locations from Midtown to East Memphis to Germantown to Collierville,” she said.

The location schedule will be posted weekly on Instagram and TikTok. Online ordering will be available.

“Byways are roads less traveled,” Amstutz said. “Since we are in a camper, you can catch us on the roads less traveled.”