Carrboro Coffee Roasters is proud to present the 2026 Legends of Excellence, an exclusive tasting of some of the world’s best coffees selected by the Alliance of Coffee Excellence and its educators including Carrboro Coffee’s Scott Conary.
Legends of Excellence is an elite designation for coffee producers who have consistently demonstrated exceptional quality, earning multiple Cup of Excellence wins over the years — and who lead their communities through education, sustainability and mentorship.
“Beyond producing world-class coffee, each of them has made a lasting impact by investing in programs that uplift fellow farmers, workers and their communities,” says Scott, who has served with the Alliance of Coffee Excellence and the Cup of Excellence Program for over 20 years.
The tasting will be held at Carrboro Coffee Roasters’ expanded Chapel Hill roastery on December 4, 2026. For more information and registration, visit Eventbrite.
Carrboro Coffee Roasters is proud to be the exclusive coffee provider for PBS North Carolina – and celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their Rootle 24/7 KIDS programming with an anniversary Roo’s Brews coffee.
Rootle supports families across North Carolina with free, enriching media content and resources that prepare children for school and life. Roo’s Brews is a delicious blend of coffees from Carrboro Coffee Roaster’s Farmer Direct Relationship Program in Central & South America.
“For a decade, Rootle has been more than a television channel—it is a trusted companion in early learning, bringing educational resources, joyful experiences and lifelong learning opportunities to communities across North Carolina,” said Lauren McDowell Pyle, PBS North Carolina’s Director of Children’s Media and Education Engagement. “This vital work was made possible by the tremendous support of our members, donors and partners, including state agencies, schools, libraries and community organizations. We’re proud of the impact we’ve made together.”
Rootle launched July 1, 2016, as North Carolina’s 24/7 PBS KIDS channel. It provides educational programming for children ages 2–8, including PBS KIDS favorites like Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and local content. Today, the Rootle broadcast channel is available in more than 4.2 million homes across the state and has expanded to encompass a livestream, a YouTube channel and online and in-person engagement, including the Rootle Roadster Tour, Rootle Discovery Corners and the Rootle Ambassador Program.
Since its launch, Rootle has developed several original productions that celebrate North Carolina families, educators and communities, including Teacher Time, Girl Power!, Rootle’s Block Party Live, NC Community Highlights, the Telly Award-winning STEM series Mini Fab Science Lab (offered in English, Spanish and with onscreen American Sign Language) and the new series Health Heroes.
Carrboro Coffee Roasters & Open Eye Cafe will host the first-ever U.S. World Coffee Championships Judge Skills Program in August at our Carrboro roastery.
The WCC Judge Skills Program is an educational course that introduces participants to the judging process, scoring systems, competition rules and evaluation methods used across the World Coffee Championships. It is the ideal first step for anyone who wants to judge more consistently, prepare to compete more strategically, or coach competitors with greater comprehension. Register here
Open to all, but specifically designed for judges, competitors and coaches who want a deeper understanding of how the World Coffee Competition performances are evaluated & scored.
There are three options:
BARISTA: August 14 & 15 $700
BREWERS: August 16 & 17 $700
UNTIL JULY 25 – BOTH PROGRAMS: $1250
The number of students for each class is limited to ensure adequate learning and practice opportunities.
Program trainers, including CCR President Scott Conary, bring unparalleled expertise to ensure a world-class experience. Both are official WCC Reps with over 20 years of experience and currently serving as Judge Operation Leads for the Barista and Latte Art competitions, respectively. They have collectively judged over 150 National Competitions, more than ten world finals, coached world champions and finalists and played key roles in delivering 6+ global Judge Certification programs (250+ world certified judges).
Visit World Coffee Championships, for more info on the program. And follow our Instagram as we share info about the program.
We’re excited for the beginning of the 2026 Cup Of Excellence® season, which marks Carrboro Coffee Roasters’ 20th year of involvement in this ground-breaking coffee development & promotion program.
In 2007, CCR President & Coffee Buyer Scott Conary became involved in this Program as an International Judge in Honduras and Nicaragua. In 2015, after years of seeing the positive impacts of the program, he joined the organization as a Head Judge & Instructor.
This is a role that helps shape a more transparent infrastructure in coffee, giving farmers the recognition & tools they need to improve the economic model of their farms, while also giving Carrboro Coffee’s customers access to some of the world’s most distinguished coffees!
Cup of Excellence, founded in 1999, is the most prestigious competition and auction for high quality coffees. The competition has pioneered integrity and transparency in the coffee industry through a level of evaluation that is unmatched anywhere in the specialty coffee industry.
Each year, thousands of coffees are submitted for consideration in each coffee growing country, with winning coffees sold in global online auctions at premium prices. The majority of auction proceeds go to the farmers to support these efforts, and ongoing development for them, their families and communities. Carrboro Coffee Roasters also participates in these auctions to secure unique lots that we are able to roast & share with coffee lovers in the Triangle & beyond.
Visit Cup of Excellence, for more info on the program. And follow our Instagram as we share info about Scott’s involvement in this years’ Cup of Excellence season, including his work in Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia, and El Salvador.
All the Coffee Info & Goodness you need for the New Year & Beyond!
WCHL – ChapelBoro Interview!
This is Tourism | March 1, 2018
Scott Conary, Owner at Open Eye Café, Caffe Driade, and Carrboro Coffee Roasters
This is Tourism: Coffee Roaster Scott
Opening talking points: WCHL – ChapelBoro.com
And now it’s time for our weekly feature, This is Tourism, produced in partnership with the Orange County Visitors Bureau. This morning I’m joined by Scott Conary. He’s the owner of well known and frequented local establishments Caffe Driade, Open Eye Café, and Carrboro Coffee Roasters. His coffee is enjoyed in nearly 100 retail, restaurant and café locations from the coast to the mountains of North Carolina, and 41 of them are right here in Orange County. Scott is a hard man to pin down! He’s all over the map, consulting restaurants, meeting farmers to source the best coffee beans in the world, and judging international barista competitions. Thank you for being here with us!
We are excited to announce that after much effort we are offering a truly unique experience combining efficiency and great taste…our own specialty instant coffee will surprise you with its quality and distinct flavor profile.
This coffee, from Producer Partner Nacho Gutierez at Finca El Barrancon in El Salvador, has delicious flavors of plum and berries, a sweet molasses syrupy mouthfeel, and a clean finish.
This coffee can be your trusted companion when hiking, long flights, camping or visits to family over the Holidays!
No need to carry around all the gear to enjoy amazing coffee on the run!
Each box contains 6 individual serving packets that can be dissolved in 8-10 oz of water, hot or cold! Easy to use and easy to transport.
Find it on our website: https://shopcarrborocoffee.com/, and at our Flagship Cafes Open Eye Cafe & Caffe Driade.
We are co-hosting the monthly Triangle Latte Art Throwdown (TNT) at our newly expanded roasting facility on 6/27 from 6:30pm to ~9pm.
The expanded space is the white building in front of our co-host Caffe Driade. 1215 East Franklin Street.
At this event the Triangle Coffee Community comes together for a fun competition and additionally a party to celebrate the soft opening of the new space.
Free & open to the public!
Food Trucks, beverages, live music and more as the celebration extends to the whole ‘campus’ – including Caffe Driade and their outdoor stage.
See the FB event page & Poster of the event for more info. Triangle TNT FB Event Page – June
Party starts at 6:30pm, Throwdown at 7:30pm.
Carrboro Coffee Roasters’ Green Bean Totes are local, NC handmade totes crafted from the green coffee bean bags we receive from our farmers at origin. Each is one of a kind and features the artwork of our farmer partners. We’re all about re-using these cool coffee bags and making them into an awesome, lined tote. They are the perfect size for shopping, picking up groceries, and all your other carrying needs!
The perfect gift this holiday season, buy it here
Join us on Saturday, October 28th at the North Carolina Botanical Garden for Coffee Unites the World: How Your Morning Cup of Coffee Affects Birds, Economics, and the land.
We’ll follow two experts as they discuss how farming and processing affect wildlife, the environment, and the communities involved; as well as enjoy a tasting of Carrboro Coffee Roasters Direct Relationship coffees!
Click here for tickets.
