The Making of Forest Trail

Forest Trail was started by me, Colin Hughes, with the help of my amazing wife Kristen. The idea for me was very simple, give Mint Hill the best drink they’ll have until they come back again.

Along the way we started to do what they always do; we started hosting. Quickly Forest Trail became known for our events. Everything from Friday Night Trivia, Mom’s Night, Kid’s NYE, Halloween Parties, Paint by Numbers night and so many other events.

As the shop grew so did our cast. Our crew grew we went from 4 employees to as many as 10. We added serious baristas who have been in coffee for years, chief among them, Sarah Halsell who quickly rose up the ranks to become our GM. She’s taught me so much about coffee and improved our processes dramatically. I don’t know where we would be without Sarah. And her predecessor Haley Duda who taught me that we can expect and demand better. These two have their fingerprints on everything good that has happened for our shop since 2025. I cannot imagine where we would be without them. Haley still comes and takes all of our most stunning photos.

Our crew beyond just the managers from Kira to Kyra has always been an amazing group of people. As a leader my number one messaging has always been that I’m not the smartest person in the room, every idea has value, and there is never an excuse for poor service. I look for kindness first, conversationalist who never talk down to anyone, and then I let Sarah turn them into baristas who know coffee inside and out.

“You can give someone a mid drink with a great attitude and they’ll think it’s the best drink they’ve ever had or you can give someone an amazing drink with an awful attitude and they’ll never come back,” is something I’ve said to every one of my staff members at least 10 times. Our goal is always to give people the greatest drink they’ll have until they come back with the most outstanding service they’ll ever have, anywhere.

We started right on the main drag in Mint Hill in a small old house and we were there for just under 3 years. It was about 1 year in that I started to notice we were outgrowing the space. I saw people turn into the driveway and then leave when there were no parking spots. I watched people try to turn into our driveway only to be discouraged and drive away. But I clung to the space for it’s charm and also, honestly, out of fear.

In early 2026 I began looking for new spaces. And in February we found the space that isn’t perfect but one that we know we can make into what we need. One that we can build into an amazing space that will provide us, and Mint Hill, with the things that we do best. Amazing coffee. Hand crafted cocktails. Events! The events will be amazing. We’re bringing back our food, via our trailer. And we’re going into 2027 running at a speed we’ve never run at before.

Our goal is to be in our new space by the start of summer 2026. Please follow our Instagram for details.