Franklin’s coffee scene just got a little more interesting. Prickly Pear Coffee Co — a Nashville favorite — has officially rolled its truck to 328 5th Avenue North, and we caught up with owner Annika Baylis to hear all about it.
“Franklin honestly felt like a natural next step for us,” Baylis shared. “We had already built such a great community in Nashville, and Franklin kept coming up.” Through catering events, customers making the drive into Nashville, and people in the Franklin community asking when the business was coming their way, the move felt “less like a business decision and more like the door was already open.”
Baylis said Franklin’s “vibrant, community-oriented culture” made it feel like the right fit for the growing coffee brand.
One of the truck’s most recognizable menu items is the popular “iced coffee bucket,” which Baylis said, “took on a life of its own.” It is a mini bucket filled with iced coffee. Seasonal specialty drinks rotate throughout the year, offering everything from straight espresso drinks to more creative options.
Running a coffee truck, Baylis said, brings a different kind of connection with customers.“There is something really special about bringing the Prickly Pear experience directly to people wherever they are,” the company shared. The mobile setup has already allowed the Franklin camper to appear at events, pop-ups and community gatherings in an “organic way.”
Still, the dream of a permanent location remains. “There is something irreplaceable about having a permanent home, a place where regulars know exactly where to find you, where community builds over time, where people linger,” Baylis said. “We would love a Franklin brick and mortar, and it is absolutely a dream we have.”
The name Prickly Pear comes from owner Annika Baylis’ childhood nickname. Baylis launched the business in 2020 during the COVID lockdowns while she was still a senior in high school. What began as a mobile espresso bar has since expanded into two coffee trucks, two brick-and-mortar locations and a coffee cart.
“The deeper motivation stemmed from a conviction that coffee shops are some of the most natural gathering places for all generations,” Baylis shared. “Prickly Pear has always been about more than coffee; it is about creating a place where people feel genuinely seen, welcomed, and known. Coffee is the vehicle. People are the mission.”
Prickly Pear hours are Monday- Friday, 7 am – 2 pm, and Saturday, 8 am – 2 pm.
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