Off the shore of Folly Beach across Lighthouse Inlet stands the Morris Island Lighthouse, one of the most beloved landmarks in the Lowcountry. It has endured war, hurricanes, and erosion for well over a century, and year by year the sea creeps a little closer to its base.
Keeping it standing is the work of Save the Light, a nonprofit that has been at it since 1998. Our newest preservation effort is a tasty one: a collaboration with Carolina Coffee Works. Together, we have launched the Lighthouse Roast, a smooth medium blend coffee roast that supports our preservation efforts. For every bag sold, Carolina Coffee Works has pledged to donate 20% of the proceeds to Save the Light.
We sat down with Geoff Chewning of Carolina Coffee Works to discuss the collaboration, what you can expect from the roast, and the importance of local businesses getting involved in local issues.
How did the partnership between Carolina Coffee Works and Save the Light come about?
I thought I had a fun way to be involved with one of my favorite landmarks and raise a little bit of money at the same time. So I reached out, we brainstormed a bit, and here we are.
Secretly, I’m also hoping I get to see inside the lighthouse someday.
Do you have a personal connection to Folly Beach, the lighthouse, or the Lowcountry that inspired you to get involved?
I grew up going to Folly Beach. I met my wife in the Lowcountry when we were 16 years old. We lost touch for the next 17 years, and after we reconnected, our first date was walking on the beach and having dinner on Center Street.
Later, we got married on Folly, had our rehearsal dinner at the Tides Hotel, brunch at Rita’s the next morning, and now our son takes surf lessons out here too.
What is your favorite memory tied to the Morris Island Lighthouse or Folly Beach?
One of our favorite things to do is head out to the lighthouse when there is a full moon. We find time most months to watch the moon rise and walk the beach a little — sometimes with friends, sometimes just the three of us.
A lot of the time we stop and get sandwiches at Bert’s on the way. The whole evening has become a tradition for us.
Walk us through the Lighthouse Roast: why this origin, this roast level, this flavor profile? If someone’s never tried it, how would you describe that first cup?
These beans are from Colombia’s Huila region. They are grown at high elevation in volcanic soil, and the coffee is known for being bright, fruity, and very pleasing.
It’s one of my favorite coffees because I think it drinks like a more expensive coffee than it is. I chose a medium roast because it has broad appeal and should be enjoyable to just about everyone. That first cup should be bright, a little sweet, and easy to like.
Is there a ritual or moment in your own day when you reach for a cup of the Lighthouse Roast specifically?
Lately, I’ve been brewing it in the evenings, refrigerating it overnight, and making iced coffee with it in the mornings. I can’t get enough iced coffee in the summertime when it’s this hot out.
What’s the most surprising thing people don’t know about how coffee gets from farm to bag?
The surprising thing is that coffee is fermented before it’s ever roasted — and most people have no idea that’s part of the process.
Coffee starts as a fruit. Before it tastes anything like coffee, the cherry has to be processed, and fermentation helps break down the sticky fruit around the seed. How that happens — washed, natural, honey-processed, or even how long it ferments — can completely change the flavor.
That’s why two coffees from the same farm, even the same harvest, can taste totally different. One might be clean and bright. Another might be fruitier, heavier, or even a little wine-like.
So when someone tastes berry, citrus, or wine-like notes in a cup, that’s not flavoring, and it’s not a roasting trick. A lot of that flavor started months earlier, with decisions made by the farmer long before the coffee ever got to us.
What does “doing good” as a small business mean to you?
For us, doing good as a small business starts with being fair.
We all know costs are high right now, and we feel that on the business side too. But we’ve tried hard to keep our pricing reasonable, still sell full one-pound bags, and offer free local delivery whenever we can.
It’s not always about some big grand gesture. Sometimes it’s just choosing not to squeeze people, showing up for the community, and doing the small things the right way. That’s what we try to do.
How does Save the Light align with Carolina Coffee Works’ values?
What Save the Light does is local, it’s important, and it’s about taking care of something that belongs to the community.
The Morris Island Lighthouse is one of those landmarks people feel connected to, even if they’ve only seen it from the beach or from a boat. It’s part of the Lowcountry’s story. We’re a small local coffee company, so being able to support something that helps preserve that history feels like a natural fit.
We’re not trying to make it complicated. We roast coffee here, we care about this place, and if selling a bag of coffee can help protect a piece of Charleston history, that’s exactly the kind of thing we want to be part of.
What’s next on the horizon for Carolina Coffee Works?
We want to keep growing our local delivery and subscription side, keep getting into more local shops and markets, and keep building partnerships like the Lighthouse Roast. We’re also always working on new blends and seasonal coffees, but the goal is simple: make it easier for people around Charleston to get fresh, good coffee without having to think too hard about it.
We’re not trying to be the loudest coffee company in town. We’re trying to be the easiest one — reliable, convenient, and always good.
We also have the lighthouse’s 150th anniversary coming up, so we’ll start talking with Save the Light about how Carolina Coffee Works can help support that as well.
Carolina Coffee Works is a local gem that has been delivering coffee to Charlestonians’ doorsteps since 2023. If you’re looking for a blend to start your day off right, explore Carolina Coffee Works’ collection of roasts and elevate your coffee routine. In that collection, you’ll find the Lighthouse Roast, a delicious blend with an even more important purpose: saving the Morris Island Lighthouse. For every bag you purchase, 20% of the proceeds will be donated to help keep a local landmark standing for years to come.
Buying a bag is one easy way to help, and there are plenty of others. Save the Light is a nonprofit dedicated to restoring, preserving, and celebrating the Morris Island Lighthouse for future generations. Stabilizing a tower that now stands surrounded by water is ongoing work, and it depends on people who love this stretch of coast.
Want to help keep the light standing?
- Pick up a bag of the Lighthouse Roast at Bert’s on Folly or through the online shop. Twenty percent of every bag goes straight to preservation.
- Order a Save the Light hat, t-shirt, quarter-zip, tote bag, or note card set from our online shop to support our mission.
- Make a donation online, by phone, or by mail — every dollar goes directly to preservation.
- Become a member, starting at just $25 a year.
- Participate in an event. From the Annual Oyster Roast at Bowen’s Island to the Save the Light Half Marathon & 5K on Folly Beach, having fun and supporting the cause go hand in hand.
The Morris Island Lighthouse has helped light the Charleston coast for centuries. Don’t let it dim now.