We're sitting at The Roastery of Cave Creek. Owner David Anderson came out to give us a tour of his facility, despite having had knee surgery just a few days ago. He wasn't able to drive yet, so his spunky and incredibly sweet stepdaughter, Wade, gave him a lift.
The business was closed, but a customer came in looking for coffee. The Roastery usually offers after-hour sales on an honor system; a cabinet outside the building holds bags of coffee, visitors drop cash through the mail slot. Quaint, right?
But this customer needed his beans ground. And he didn't have cash on him. No matter -- The Roastery took care of it. Wade ground the beans while David spoke with the visitor. He told him to drop by with cash when he had it, and the customer left happy. As he walked out the door, he said, "What I just experienced here is what makes this place special. Small-town hospitality."
See also: Village Coffee Roastery in Scottsdale: Your Coffee Is Just Okay, But We Like You Anyway
We used a half a tank of gas getting to and from The Roastery, but we don't regret it (mostly). The Andersons are welcoming, family-oriented, and genuinely kind, and their business is snuggled up into some seriously beautiful scenery.
The Roastery of Cave Creek opened in 2007. Prior to that, Anderson owned Cave Creek Coffee Company and Wine Bar (now called Local Johnny's). Originally from Kansas, Anderson loves three things: barbecue, live music, and roasting coffee.
You might not have ever heard of the Roastery, but odds are if you partake in the Phoenix food scene, you've had their coffee. Matt's Big Breakfast, FnB, and Pizzeria Bianco all use beans from the ROCC. As Anderson puts it, "Coffee is often the last impression a restaurant makes on a customer's dining experience."
Anderson tries to make this experience a great one. He roasts custom blends for many of his accounts. The ROCC starts by using high-quality coffee from a handful of different reputable green coffee importers. When we were there, we were excited to see coffee from Cafe Imports' ACEs collection - part of a contest that the importer holds to honor the best green coffees grown in Colombia that year.
