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Josiah “Bo” Nelson is a Kansas City native and a co-founder of Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters, the Crossroads coffee company he started in 2012 with Bill Holzhueter around the idea that communities grow through connection and conversation over a good drink.
Biography
A Kansas City native, Bo Nelson grew up working in his family’s nursery business (Family Tree Nursery), where he developed an early hands-on sensibility.1 In 2012 he co-founded Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters with fellow roaster Bill Holzhueter, taking the name from a passage in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden that turns on the freedom — and responsibility — of choice (“thou mayest,” the translation of timshel).2
Thou Mayest grew from its flagship in the East Crossroads (419 E. 18th Street) into a respected Kansas City roaster and café. In April 2019 the company acquired Quay Coffee, expanding into the River Market.3 Nelson has been recognized among the people shaping Kansas City’s food-and-drink scene.1
Legacy
Nelson is among the entrepreneurs who built Kansas City’s modern coffee culture, pairing careful roasting with a deliberate emphasis on community and craft.
See also
Sources
Footnotes
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“Profile: Bo Nelson, Thou Mayest,” Flatland KC — KC native; Family Tree Nursery background. ↩ ↩2
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“One On One: Bo Nelson, Co-Founder and Roaster, Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters,” Feast Magazine — founded 2012 with co-founder Bill Holzhueter; name from Steinbeck’s East of Eden (timshel / “thou mayest”). ↩
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“Thou Mayest acquires Quay Coffee,” Startland News (2019-04) — River Market expansion. ↩