For those of you who are interested in learning more about specialty coffee and the Word Barista Championship, we’ll be hosting a special screening of The Coffee Man at Open Eye Cafe on October 7th at 7:30pm. This film follows 2015 World Barista Champion Sasa Sestic from the birthplace of coffee in Ethiopia to Seattle, Washington, the cradle of the specialty coffee movement and host of the 2015 World Barista Championship. We hope you’ll join us for this glimpse into the Competition life of President Scott Conary!
Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who submitted and voted in our Open Eye Cafe T-Shirt Contest. We’re lucky to live in an area full of people who are willing to share their talent with us, and we’re thrilled that so many people wanted to participate both with submissions and voting.
And now, the winners!
In third place, winning a $50 gift card and other cool coffee swag is…
In second place, winning a $100 gift card and more cool coffee swag is…
And finally, our first place winner; receiver of 1 years worth of brewed coffee plus home brewing equipment, and designer of our new Open Eye Cafe t-shirts, is Maura Hartzman with this winning design…
Congrats to all of our winners! We’ll be reaching out over the next couple of days to make sure everyone gets their prizes, and we’ll soon let all of you know when the new t-shirts will be available.
Carrboro Coffee Roasters is really excited to be a part of the first-ever Asheville Coffee Expo!
Join us on International Coffee Day, October 1st, from 10am-2pm at PennyCup Coffee Co’s roasting facility in the River Arts District in Asheville, North Carolina.
This free, family-friendly event includes a latte art contest, cappuccino competition, a free-style espresso throw down, sack races for the kids, and more. We’re thrilled to be one of several incredible vendors in attendance.
This is a FREE event, open to the public, and is for anyone and everyone who enjoys coffee.
Scott Conary, president of Carrboro Coffee Roasters, will be serving as the head judge for all coffee submissions to this year’s Good Food Awards—the only initiative to recognize craft food and beverage production that excels in both taste and sustainability. Conary will be managing dozens of judges for over 200 coffee samples over a two-day period this September just outside San Francisco, California.
Conary and his team will be judging the coffee submissions based on flavor, body, acidity, and more. All of the submissions must be certified Organic, Fair Trade, and roasted in the United States. The emphasis on fairness and transparency from seed to cup coincides perfectly with Conary and Carrboro Coffee Roaster’s mission to source the finest coffees through direct relationships at origin.
Conary is well versed with the role of head judge. As part of his current work with Cup of Excellence, Conary took on the position for the annual competition in Honduras, a competition with 300 entries results in an average of 9,000 analyzed cups, with each of the Top 10 coffees being cupped at least 120 times.
Our most recent collaboration with Steel String Brewery has been to bring back the popular Night Train Coffee IPA!
The piney, grassy hops are paired with earthy, molasses and citrusy coffee notes from our Roastery. This collaboration was created with the band Teardrop Canyon in mind, and the release was timed with their opening show at the newly re-opened Station in Carrboro. Yes
We’re so lucky to be neighbors with such creative people. Go grab a pint today!
Carrboro Coffee Roaster’s president, Scott Conary, went on a several week-long trip to Myanmar this past September to teach and evaluate the coffee industry in the midst of the country’s most important elections in recent history. Read his thoughts on the people, the coffee industry, and the political situation below:
“You could sense the collective held breath of everyone in the country, but especially those with grand plans in the coffee industry. The elections in Myanmar were to be held in a little more than a month, and so much depended on a favorable outcome that would allow for expansion, growth, and a possible bright future in all aspects of the coffee industry. Investments that had been initiated, and looking to be continued–from farming and processing advancements and infrastructure to roasting and retail values–found themselves slowed, their plans perceptibly hesitating, awaiting the results.
This is not to say nothing was happening. My efforts for the 2+ weeks I was there were vigorously active, fanning the flames of interest and intent that had been building for some time. Every class I taught was full of eager and adventurous professionals of all levels. Each was there to aid in the building of their own plans of growth and success, taking advantage of this great USAID/Winrock funded program that CQI reached to teach roasting, espresso/barista and coffee brewing classes to veterans and newcomers to the industry alike.
At the same time I was able to assess the agricultural and cultural makeup of the country and get an idea of the amazing potential they could have in the world market; and even assist where possible for their internal success and strategic partnerships that could help them get there.
I pulled no punches and gave no easy answers to questions, as my intent was to lay the building blocks of more education and learning to follow, and I didn’t want to shortcut that with partial answers. Instead, my goal was to teach a comprehension that would allow for critical thinking and the ability to work through issues that might arise in the future and with varying circumstances that might not be revealed until later. Gaining this knowledge and hands-on skill set would be a first real building block to advancing abilities, procedures, and ultimately quality going forward.
It was unclear at first if this would be initially effective, as this is a plan that builds over time and often takes a while in coming to fruition.
I was more than a little pleased to see appreciation and comprehension come to light early on and realized that, in the right environment, one that fostered the kind of growth that entrepreneurs need to build and grow businesses, Myanmar was poised to do great things, especially in the coffee world.
The intelligent and hardworking folks who attended the classes made the classes themselves enjoyable to teach and created the best of situations–one where there are active conversations between teacher and student, such that true comprehension can be found.
Looking back, post election; I believe there must have been a huge sigh of relief, after an initial whoop of joy, at the election results. For the first time in quite a while, residents of the country have some hope that their efforts may bear a fruit that can continue to be replanted in their homeland, and can take pride in being part of that prosperity.
After an incredible year and a half, the Carrboro Coffee Roasters’ Pop-Up Coffee Bar at Goldenbelt in Downtown Durham is winding down, with plans to close at the end of December.
The Pop-Up Coffee Bar, a unique combination of Cafe/training space, has served as a launchpad for Specialty Coffee educational outreach across the Triangle, paving the way for Carrboro Coffee Roasters to work with Durham clients & community, and introduce quality, Farmer Direct Relationship coffees to normally neglected business and retail environments.
Through these efforts Carrboro Coffee Roasters is now providing coffee to a number of non-traditional clients, including Burt’s Bees and MetLife.
We’re pleased to have brought our commitment to coffee education and direct relationships at origin to a new audience at Goldenbelt and beyond, and look forward to popping up at another location in the new year to continue the effort!
Meanwhile to continue enjoying these unique coffees in the Triangle and beyond, you can find a complete listing of Carrboro Coffee Roasters Clients here: https://carrborocoffee.com/where-to-find/
Our 2015 Holiday Blend is here! It’s a deliciously cozy coffee that features notes of sweet orange, clove, cinnamon, honey, and a caramel-like body. Pick up a bag at Open Eye Cafe or Caffe Driade.
Looking for the perfect gift for the coffee lover on your list? Give them a freshly roasted coffee delivered straight to their door (or mailbox) each month! We offer 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions. Learn more.
Stop by Fleet Feet’s Carrboro or Durham location this Saturday, Oct. 31 between 10am and 12pm and enjoy a free cup of Carrboro Coffee Roasters coffee!
Open Eye Café is partnering with Fleet Feet to celebrate their new Brooks Coffeehouse Collection running shoes, made especially for coffee lovers in limited-edition colors and designs that pay homage to our favorite drink.
We’ve always known that coffee and running are a perfect fit!
Carrboro Coffee Roasters President Scott Conary is excited to be giving a lecture at his Alma mater, Elizabethtown College, on Friday, October 23rd.
The lecture is part of the Elizbethtown College Department of Business’ M&M Mars Executive Lecture Series, which brings senior level executives from various industries to talk about their experiences and engage students in discussions about programs offered to their customers.
Scott’s lecture will focus on Carrboro Coffee Roasters, his history of leadership in the Specialty Coffee industry, and the impact of global trade on individual lives.
Scott graduated from Elizabethtown College in 1989 with a B.S. in biology. After graduating, he went on to do Research & Development in labs for many Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies such as Bristol-Meyers Squibb and Wyeth-Ayerst in Princeton, NJ, and Icagen Ion Channel Science in Research Triangle Park, NC.
During this time, he founded Open Eye Café and Caffe Driade, and has since developed over 20 years’ experience in the Specialty Coffee industry. His obsession with discovering and roasting phenomenal coffee transitioned into direct working relationships with farmers and producers as Carrboro Coffee Roasters, a wholesale coffee roaster with an international reach.
The lecture is free and open to the public. More information is available here.
Stop by Fleet Feet’s