In the fall of 2020, just a few months after the world came grinding to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jimmy Butler was in an Orlando hotel room doing some grinding of his own.
The NBA star, in his first season with the Heat, was running a coffee shop out of his room in "the bubble." With high-quality Joe a scarcity at the Florida campus where players from 22 teams were holed up, the entrepreneurial Butler saw a business opportunity.
He began charging players $20 for a cup of his freshly brewed coffee — a steep price, but one he knew many of his fellow pros would be willing to pay.
"All I could think about was how I could hustle these guys out of their cash,” Butler told Thrillist last year. “I knew people had cash and no one was using it because of COVID, so I decided to take cash.”
Butler was hoping his customers would pay with $100 bills, or “big faces” as he calls them, and he would tell them he didn't have change.
“It never really worked,” he said. “Nobody ever gave me a hundred.”
But even if it didn't have the desired results, it began a project of passion that continues to this day.
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Butler is now the proud owner of Big Face Coffee. The company sources beans from Ethiopia, Kenya and Colombia and sells them on its website alongside fashion-forward apparel.
The six-time All-Star is involved in every aspect of running the business, from selecting the bean varieties to designing the clothing to doing market research. His ultimate goal is to open a chain of cafes where people can enjoy his java.
“I dream of having a bunch of cafes around the world where people from all different backgrounds and cultures come and enjoy coffee,” he said. “I want people to come together and talk about life, and teach each other about one another.”
Butler's love of coffee has been well-documented for years. As something of a caffeine addict, he reportedly drinks up to 12 cups every day.
Hey Heat Nation, did you know...
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCP) June 2, 2023
Jimmy Butler drinks 12 cups of coffee a day ☕🤯#HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/kjd362DXsI
Perhaps the only thing he enjoys more than the coffee itself is the opportunity for conversation it provides.
“That’s what this whole thing was built off of," he told CNBC last year. "Trying to bring individuals together, laughing and having a good time, no matter if you’re getting an iced coffee, hot coffee, cold coffee, cold brew, and sit down and have a conversation and realize how alike you are as individuals."
According to Sports Illustrated, his dream coffee shop gathering would include Brazilian soccer star Neymar, former U.S. president Barack Obama and British tennis player Emma Raducanu, who he described as a "young baller" and a "monster."
Some may question the health effects of a top athlete drinking so much coffee. But it is clearly working for Butler, who has spearheaded Miami's stunning run to the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed.
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When his playing career eventually comes to an end, don't be surprised if he enters the coffee industry full time. And if he does, don't be surprised if he ends up being very successful.
“Passion is everything. When it comes to whatever I do, whether it be basketball or playing UNO, I’m very passionate about being the best,” he said. “And with Big Face, this is another opportunity for me to learn and start fresh."
