Roasters has been in operation as an independent roaster/coffee house since January of 2003. Now in its second ownership, the shop has a core group of "regulars" who have been loyal from the beginning. Located on the edge of town, business has steadily grown as traffic has increased near the shop and word of mouth has praised the quality of product and service.
It is critical that customers feel ownership of the business. They must feel comfortable being in the shop and they must feel that the workers genuinely care about serving them the best product they can. Everyone from owner, to roaster/manager, to counter help must put quality of product and service in front of every other consideration. Of course, having the freshest roasted product in town helps. Everyone who truly favors an exceptional cup of coffee eventually migrates to our shop.
At least twice a month informal JAM sessions are held by local musicians in search of a smoke-free environment for sharing their music. These are held on Sunday afternoons and are always open to any musicians who want to contribute.
Our shop has a busy group of morning commuters on their way to work. These folks are followed by a number of independent freelancers who like to set up their offices in our shop for their business ventures. There are always the retired folks who enjoy a good cup of coffee while they read the morning paper or do the crossword or sudoku. Groups of high school students find us on the weekends as do bicycle riders who frequent the nearby bike trail.
We are not in a high traffic area, so our shop has had to be a destination stop. We've addressed that challenge by having a product that is worth driving across town for.
Within five years, our customer base will double. We will have a web-based presence for selling coffee. We may have to purchase another roaster for filling the demand for our coffee. Hours will be expanded and more special events, book discussion groups, musicians, writers, teachers and students will choose Roasters as a gathering place.
