Two friends. One warehouse.
A promise to the farmers.
Started with a cast-iron pan and a conviction
Marcus spent a decade sourcing green beans for one of the country's largest specialty roasters. He knew the farms, knew the farmers, knew exactly which lots were extraordinary — and watched most of them disappear into blends nobody could trace. Elena left restaurant management at the same moment Marcus quit the sourcing world. They each knew what they were walking away from. Neither of them knew quite what they were walking toward.
In the spring of 2019, they signed a lease on a 1,200 square foot warehouse on Whitaker Street. Marcus found a secondhand 15kg drum roaster in Asheville, drove it back himself, and spent two months learning how to use it without ruining coffee. Elena rebuilt the finances four times on a legal pad before it made sense.
The first bag of Copper Lane coffee was sold to a neighbour. The second went to the chef at a downtown restaurant who'd known Elena for years. By Christmas, they had seven wholesale accounts and no time to sleep. None of that has changed much.
"Big soul means knowing the hands that grew every bean."
We visit every farm we source from. Not once — every year. We bring photos back from the previous season and give them to the farmers. We know which lots are about to come into the country before the importer does. We sometimes pay more than the market rate because the coffee is worth more than the market will pay. We lose sleep over it and we would not change it.
Every batch by Marcus or Elena. No apprentices on production days.
Sourcing decisions start with the relationship, not the price.
Slow, deliberate, never in a hurry to be something it isn't.
We know every farmer by name.
"Coffee is patience. Every cherry tells you when it is ready."
"My grandmother planted roses between the rows. I still do not know if it helps the coffee, but it helps me."
"When someone cares enough to visit, you give them your best harvest. It is simple."
"The altitude does the work. My job is to not get in the way."
"We have been growing coffee here for four generations. The trees know this land better than we do."
"The volcano makes the soil. The rain makes the cherry. We just watch and learn."
Come see where it happens.
The roastery is on Whitaker Street. The café opens Saturday and Sunday mornings. Bring someone you like talking to.
Visit the Roastery →