No matter what you order, owners Blake Beal and Pashlee Grimmett want to encourage customers to slow down and learn more about their daily coffee.
“It isn’t something that just appears in the cup,” Beal says. “There’s a lot of choices and craft.”
The husband and wife team opened Beal Beans on July 15, expanding their coffee business from farmers markets and online sales to a brick-and-mortar in Phoenix’s Sunnyslope neighborhood.
Pour-over coffee brewed with beans from around the world that are roasted on site is the focus at Beal Beans Roasting Co.
Sara Crocker
After sharing beans with friends and colleagues for a few years, the pair decided, amid the pandemic, to take a shot at the coffee business. Beal and Grimmett sold beans and served pour-over coffees, cold brew and homemade Pop-Tarts at Valley farmers markets. They started at Arrowhead and North Scottsdale, before eventually joining Phoenix’s large Uptown Farmers Market in 2023.
“It was a game-changer for us, and it was in our neighborhood, which was really important to us,” Grimmett says.
While driving through the Sunnyslope neighborhood on their way to Grimmett’s mother’s house, the couple noticed a corner of a small strip available. They saw an opportunity not only to roast their beans but also to create a cafe where people could learn about coffee and connect with their neighbors.
“The sourcing really matters,” Beal says. “Sharing the story of the coffee really matters to us, the story of the region, the family, the farm.”
During a recent visit, eight coffees from parts of Central and South America, Southwest Asia and Africa were available to be brewed as a pour-over, where hot water is hand-poured over the grounds to make each cup. At the coffee bar, three ceramic drippers are lined up in front of several wooden coasters with the Beal Beans logo, which depicts the outlines of their three sons' faces and a coffee bean.
Customers can also order cold brews, espresso drinks, teas and a handful of housemade pastries. Grimmett has brought her experience bartending at the now-shuttered Fuego Bistro to the table. The Lemon Drop, part of Beal Beans’ summer menu, arrives with a frothy head and bursts with notes of bright citrus.
“It’s fun to take the bar to the coffeeshop,” Grimmett says.
Grimmett likes to "take the bar to the coffeeshop." In the seasonal Lemon Drop, espresso is shaken with lemon, honey and orange blossom water.
Sara Crocker
“We’re always looking for farms that are focused on sustainable practices around growing, washing, processing,” he notes.
The pair has opted for a more energy-efficient coffee roaster, they use compostable or recyclable packaging and have partnered with Recycled City to compost their coffee grounds and other food waste. Grimmett says they’re also in the process of certifying their yard, where she has hens and grows produce, as an urban farm from which she can source ingredients for the cafe's drinks and bakes.
"We just want to be able to spread it all out and make as little a footprint as possible,” Beal says.
In addition to their carefully crafted specialty beverages, Beal Beans will also offer a pot of drip coffee that customers can pay what they can, with a suggested price of $4.
“We just want people to come in, and we don’t want any barrier to great coffee,” Beal says.
The owners say they’ll roll that out this fall, when they will host a grand opening event. That’s not the only gathering Beal and Grimmett have in mind. The duo hope to host cupping events or classes on brewing and roasting, as well as bringing in others to host food pop-ups or events, such as yoga.
“I love having a space that we can invite other community members to use to grow,” Grimmett says.
