Quality Coffee on Vintage Wheels to Hit Somerville Streets

Second photo shows Japanese coffee stand that inspired the coffee van concept.

SOMERVILLE, MA - If you see an old-school truck driving around town this summer stop by for a fantastic cup of coffee.

Business partners Townsend Colon and Sarah Saleh got the idea for a mobile coffee cafe while traveling in Japan back in 2012.

The pair was heading to a ramen spot for lunch in Osaka when they spotted a man serving coffee from a stand on the side of the road.

“We were taken aback by the ritual of the coffee making and how complex it was,” Townsend told Patch.

The experience gave them the idea to start the Somerville Coffee Crew and open their own coffee van.

Their unique concept marries an authentic Japanese street-coffee experience with the a romantic European cafe feel created by their 1971 Citroen H Van van.

Plans are underway to start handing out cups of joe in June or July if the team meets their goal on Kickstarter. If they fail to meet their goal the truck will still hit the streets this summer, it just might be a little bit delayed.

The Coffee Crew plans to serve Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.

• Check out the Somerville Coffee Crew's Kickstarter page>>>

By 2014, the Somerville Coffee Crew became more than just a concept when the business partners threw themselves into the idea by tirelessly experimenting with different brews, reading uncountable books and working with local businesses to learn everything they could about coffee.

Now, Townsend and Sarah are ready to get the concept on its feet and have already bought their equipment and the superstar van, which they hope to pay off through their Kickstarter campaign.

Townsend has a self-professed "soft spot" for Somerville. He moved to the city as a student at Emerson College back in 2008 and started to miss it after spending years traveling.

The coffee enthusiast hopes to make Somerville the place he calls home and the location of his long-term business.

"There's something really unique about this city. It's the perfect combination of a city vibe and hometown feel," Townsend told Patch. "It's easy to get caught up in Somerville pride."

Townsend wants to channel that "Somerville pride" into the local community by giving residents a new coffee experience.

"We want to make it an entryway for people who don't necessarily know a lot about coffee in the area," he said.

Photos courtesy of the Somerville Coffee Crew