Roast House celebrates second anniversary

To some of us, having another birthday isn’t always met with a whole lot of enthusiasm. However for Roast House Coffee, a small-batch artisan coffee roaster based in Spokane, its recent 2-year birthday was definitely worth celebrating. When Deborah Di Bernardo decided to open Roast House Coffee in January 2010, her business plan included a focus on private labeling—creating coffee blends for companies. The coffee itself would be 100 percent shade-grown and organic, a combination that she says remains unique for this area. “It’s a business model no one in town has really embraced,” says Di Bernardo. “If we can show this works … if we can affect consumers so that they start paying attention to what they’re purchasing, what their dollars are really supporting, than I’m tickled.” Di Bernardo says people are slowly becoming more educated about just how destructive conventional coffee can be, both environmentally and socially. It’s actually considered one of the world’s top five toxic crops to grow. “The more we learn about coffee and how conventional crops affect the environment, the more we are committed to what we do,” says Di Bernardo of her and roast master, Dave Rier’s approach. The approach, called “Farm to Cup,” means conscientious transparent trade practices with farmers who sustainably produce quality, shade-grown, organic coffees in small lots at Fair Trade or greater prices. The values are similar to a Slow Food approach, says Di Bernardo. In October 2011, Roast House obtained certification as a 100 percent, shade-grown organic coffee roaster. While it hasn’t been easy the past two years with the cost of coffee beans going up 50 percent, Di Bernardo attributes a large part of the company’s success to the amazing support she’s received from the community. “It just blows my socks off, the friends we’ve made that want to see us succeed. They volunteer their time so selflessly.” There’s a local art teacher, Dan, who had a day off from school recently and chose to spend it helping out around the shop. An early Roast House fan, Dan started his volunteer efforts for RH by creating a custom-designed label for the Ride the Edge Brew which showed a friendly-looking skeleton riding a bike. He continued the skeleton imagery with RH’s limited Winter Brew, and also designed the label for the Naughty and Nice holiday blend. “(Dan) keeps cranking out graphic ideas without so much as letting me give him a bag of coffee. Though he does allow me to make him a cup when he is here,” says Di Bernardo. His wife Linda also volunteers often to pour free cups of coffee for Roast House’s many in-store tastings. Then there’s a local bike enthusiast who recently offered to make deliveries on his bike, as well as the many other countless supporters who graciously share their time, helping out at the numerous events RH is a part of. “The hardest thing to accept is when people are so giving…their generosity is just astounding,” says Di Bernardo. However, the focus at Roast House has always been on relationships—with farmers, their clients, and their community. Di Bernardo, an avid cyclist, can often be found making deliveries of her beans throughout Spokane, making that one-on-one connection that is so important to her. When not at the shop or on her bike, she can often be found handing out free cups of coffee. To date, she’s poured more than 20,000 free cups at her many in-store tastings or at events like SpokeFest, Eight Lakes Leg Aches bike race, the Lands Council tree planting, Centennial Trail Annual Clean Up, Spokane River Clean Up, Langlauf Races at Mt. Spokane, Sustainable September’s kick-off luncheon, and Main Street Fair, among others. “Making meaningful connections is key in bringing about vibrant community; it starts and ends here. And it’s not just about consumers but local businesses as well, who all need to support each other by making those personal connections,” says Di Bernardo. Some of RH’s existing 12 coffee blends are served at many local establishments including recent dining additions Downriver Grill, Hogans Diner, and Saranac Public House. They also line the shelves of specialty grocers and larger supermarkets including Main Market, Yoke’s, Albertson’s, Cassano’s Italian Market, and Huckleberry’s Natural Market.