Joe Roasts!

After 10 years of  operating as one of the most beloved coffee retailers in New York City (and recently, branching out into Pennsylvania), the family-owned Joe Coffee is now officially a roaster, as well. Beginning August 5, the company will also act as a wholesaler to select cafes, restaurants, and retailers including Ovenly and Joyride Coffee.

Joe Coffee now roasts all of its own beans.
Joe Coffee now roasts all of its own beans.

“We’re excited to grow our  150-person Joe family from a retailer to a fully-integrated roasting and retailing business,” says Joe co-founder Jonathan Rubinstein in a press release issued today. “We now  have the opportunity to work from seed to cup and have 100 percent control over quality, selection, and roast levels of the product we’re serving.” Joe began roasting in the past year but still used Intelligentsia for the majority of its coffees.

The new roasting program will include Joe Espresso, a Joe House Selection (for drip), four single origins, one decaf offering, and a few limited-edition coffees throughout the year. All of Joe’s none New York City shops and its cafe in Philadelphia will use Joe beans exclusively, both for beverages and whole bean sales, with the exception of the Joe Pro Shop, which will continue to stock a variety of domestic and international roasters, as well.

All of Joe's 10 cafes (nine in NYC and one, pictured, in Philly) will sell Joe Coffee in whole bean as well as in all espresso and drip drinks.
All of Joe’s 10 cafes (nine in NYC and one, pictured, in Philly) will sell Joe Coffee in whole bean as well as in all espresso and drip drinks.

“Roasting offers us the chance to curate our own menu,” says Ed Kaufmann, director of roasting for Joe. “We’re looking for approachability and balance in the house selection, and a variety of tastes in the single origins.”

The company will source beans through fair and traceable transactions, with an emphasis on building a relationship with coffee growers. Roasting will take place at the Pulley Collective facility in Red Hook, Brooklyn, on an energy-efficient and low-emissions Loring roaster. The roastery is in the Liberty Warehouse and operated as a timeshared space as part of the Pulley Collective’s mission to build and support a community of responsible, artisanal coffee roasters. Joe is the first member of the collective.

“We’ve been eager to expand our business into roasting for years, and with the Pulley Collective as a partner, it’s now possible,” Jonathan adds.

Read Oliver Strand’s piece on the Pulley Collective here.

These are the beans on Joe’s menu so far:

Joe Espresso: The Waverly”
”A blend of Mexico Finca Santa Teresa, Colombia Paraiso, and Ethiopia Kochere

Joe House Selection
”A blend of Mexico Finca Santa Teresa and Guatemala Finca Borbon

Single Origins:
”Guatemala Rinçon Escondido
”Papau New Guinea Baroida
”Colombia Paraiso
”Ethiopia Adado
”Decaf
”Colombia La Serrania

About Sarah 938 Articles
Sarah Allen (she/her) is co-founder and editor of Barista Magazine, the international trade magazine for coffee professionals. A passionate advocate for baristas, quality, and the coffee community, Sarah has traveled widely to research stories, interact with readers, and present on a variety of topics affecting specialty coffee. She also loves animals, swimming, ice cream, and living in Portland, Oregon.

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