This is M-Lifestyle's 30 Under 40

Despite a name that would suggest otherwise, AJay Brewer didn’t always know he was destined for the coffee business. Instead, the Richmond native spent his twenties buying and selling stocks, first with a firm in Washington, DC then with TD Ameritrade back home in Richmond. But the birth of his son, a waning passion for the work, and late-night questions about what his legacy would be had him hankering for a new kind of grind.

That’s when Brewer’s was born.

Brewer’s Cafe opened on Bainbridge Street in the Manchester neighborhood in October of 2015. There, AJay, and friend Adam (who developed a love for coffee while in Australia) opened to serve up coffee and eats that are sophisticated, but never snobbish. From the beginning, their goal has been to make the cafe a snapshot of what makes Richmond special: talent, diversity, and a welcoming, down-to-earth vibe.

Age: 33