When Paramount Coffee was the new kid on the block in 1935, coffee wasn't looked at like it is today. The coffee aisle had cans of maybe three or four colors, and it wasn't a drink that invoked any sort of emotion or curiosity. A few big suppliers dominated the country and it was about quantity over quality.
Today, the world of coffee roasting is changing. While companies like
Paramount and
The Coffee Barrel are major players, small roasters are playing a large role in bringing Lansing into the coffee game.
From Hobby to Business
Of the small roasting companies on the scene now, many started as a hobby and grew into a passion and a business.
Rudy Baggs, founded by Rob Flanders, started with a lie and the mispronunciation of the word espresso. He told a friend he liked "expresso" and they got him a machine.
Craft and Mason, founded by Eric Craft and Jeremy Mason, started with a couple friends and a popcorn machine.
Galaxie Roasters, founded by Rick Carter, started with a love of coffee and a side hobby.
While each of these companies had small beginnings, coffee soon turned into a very large passion that helped propel them forward.
Carter from Galaxie Roasters may have already had a love of coffee when he started, but was fueled to open his business when he noticed he would soon have some competition. As a regular customer at his local, independent coffee shop, Bestsellers Books and Coffee in Mason, he had someone to pitch to when he was ready to sell his coffee.
While retail was never in the plans for Rob Flanders (Rudy Baggs) when he, by chance, came up with a blend that everyone loved he became obsessed with fresh coffee and decided it would be great if everyone could have that coffee at home. His only retail account is the Soup Spoon Café, where people can get his coffee every day and on certain days, hang out with him while he pulls shots and serves his espresso.
Craft and Mason also focus their attention on the roasting rather than the retail, and while they are enjoying the momentum and all the people who love fresh coffee, they also enjoy the experimenting that comes with roasting. When it comes to bringing out the best through roasting and making the perfect brew, according to them, “It's an endless pursuit."
The Friendliest Beverage Leads to Community Connections
One thing these roasters share is their fascination, not only with the process but with what coffee represents to so many people. “It’s such a social beverage,” says Flanders of Rudy Baggs.
This social beverage not only brings people together but also encourages connections and partnerships within the community.
When Rob Flanders serves up espresso at the Soup Spoon, the best way he can describe the atmosphere is that it’s a lot like “Cheers.” While he began pouring at a small bakery, when that closed, Nick Gavriledes, the owner of the Soup Spoon, invited him to come serve and Rob brought a lot of his clientele with him. “It gets a little rowdy, a little off color, but there are lots of laughs.”
Carter with Galaxie Roasters not only provides the coffee for Bestsellers Books but the cupping events he hosts are meant to not only promote his coffee but to bring people in to the store. “It lets them know I’m here, but I also want to educate them and let them know why they should buy from me and Bestsellers … it’s about local businesses working together.”
Craft and Mason also teamed up with a local business, The Midtown Brewing Company, to share services and provide a unique experience to the public. "They had a beer they thought coffee would be good in," says Mason, so the two companies teamed up and had a release party.
Cara Nader, who will be opening Strange Matter coffee on Michigan Avenue on Lansing's Eastside in the coming months, says "Coffee has always created conversation." Her store will be set up bar style to further that conversation and encourage interaction. She will feature roasters from Michigan and all across the country, including Craft and Mason.
The Coffee Barrel, a roaster out of Holt, also saw the value in reaching out into the community. When they moved to Holt about five years ago, they branched out by building a café. "We constantly had customers asking us for tastes of our blends," says one of the owners, Tim Brenner, "So when we moved, we wanted to add that aspect."
The Coffee Barrel and Paramount are also involved in the community through fundraising for local schools and organizations. Paramount works closely with Ele's Place and The Coffee Barrel can make labels for a specific schools or organizations. The Coffee Barrel also hosts open-mic nights in the cool months and outdoor concerts in the summer. This simple act shows how coffee companies are evolving as the general public becomes more interested in coffee and the connections it can create.
A Changing Focus
As the focus of coffee moves from simply how it tastes to where it comes from local roasters are striving to deliver that information. By focusing on single origin coffee rather than just fair trade, they can pin point, in many cases, not just the region the coffee came from but sometimes even the farm or individual plot.
Craft and Mason wants to bring the farmer back into the coffee. "The farmer is doing all this amazing work," says Jeremy Mason, "and you want the customer to know that." The importer they use works hard to keep in contact with all the farmers,
"He flies out to them and is able to see the farms and the work that goes into the coffee," says Eric Craft, "And hopefully those farmers are getting rewarded for making a quality product."
Carter with Galaxie sources his beans from Sweet Maria's, a supplier that sells to the guys that don't need to order five thousand pounds of coffee. "These guys (at Sweet Maria's) talk to the farmer every year and make sure they get what they want and deserve. They travel all over, all year, to set up relationships and find coffee."
Michigan is definitely making a name for itself in the coffee industry. While the small roasters know they can't compete with the Starbucks and Biggby's of the world, "It's not about that," says Flanders, "It's about the integrity of the coffee."
Through their techniques, other roasters, like The Coffee Barrel, are showing that they agree. Processes like using an air roaster that only about 5% of other roasters in the country use, set them apart from the rest.
Over the years the public has become more educated on how coffee should taste and the best ways to roast it. The roasters out of Lansing are happy to provide the taste and quality they desire.
----
Allison Monroe is a frequent contributor to Capital Gains.
Photos ©
Dave Trumpie
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of
Trumpie Photography.