Stainless steel cooling bin Picture by:Kave Brooklyn

For the Beverage production learning analysis assignment I decided to do an alternative task and visit a coffee roaster named Unique Coffee Roasters. It is located at3075 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10303. I spoke with the manager named Joseph Ferrara who informed me that the beans they use to roast coffee are mostly from brazil, however they also have beans that are from Hawaii, Asia, parts of Africa and Jamaica. ).

Close look at coffee bean package.
Picture by: @uniquecoffeeroasters

When I asked Joseph about the farmer’s approach to agriculture/farming practices, he said they are grown in Minas Gerais which is in Brazil and is very close to the south Atlantic Ocean. The coffee beans are picked during Brazil’s winter which is from June through September. The beans cannot handle the frost so when they are ready they are harvested right away (and can be found in stores almost out of stock at T.J Maxx, Homegoods, Marshalls, and Stop & Shop).

Picture by: @Uniquecoffeeroasters

Brambati Roasting Machine Picture by: @uniquecoffeeroasters

Their roasting methods vary since they produce different types of coffee bean flavors like a Deck blend or the Costa Rican Tarrazu. He mentioned that he was inspired by someone he knew in the coffee business who tried their beans before roasting them, this way he would know if the bean deserved a long roast or a light roast. Since I prefer a dark roast he said it would be a long roast if I wanted that chocolate, caramel, heavy taste to it. They roast the beans using a Brambati roaster which has a closed cylinder where the pure heat of the flames circulate throughout the container. It almost looks like a construction site since you are able to climb the stairs and go around it.

Roasting Machine Picture by: @striper

A close look at the beans
Picture by: @UniqueCofeeRoasters

The one who assisted me was Joseph who is the son of the James Ferrara, the original owner of Unique Coffee Roasters. James opened the coffee roasting business back in 1955 and Joseph knew coffee was his calling when he was in the 8th grade. Seeing his father run his business made him eager to work there and was first hired to sweep floors and moved up the ladder from there. He said he was fond of his father because he taught him to learn from the bottom and work his way up. Joseph plans on opening a new location in other boroughs such as Manhattan since he believes it will expand his current market.

Packaging the finished beans.
Picture by: @uniquecoffeeroasters

The customer service was great, a receptionist was able to let the manager know that I was interested asking question for an assignment. I had to call back at a different time since he was currently unavailable for questioning. When it came time for scheduling a tour he was unable to give a tour on the days I proposed.

Top View of Cooling bin. Picture by: @pmorse19

Since Joseph was unable to give a tour on the days I was available, he answered my questions through the phone. He was nice enough to suggest using photos from their Instagram page and some from those who had already taken a tour of the place. One thing I learned from this experience was to manage my time better when it comes to doing assignments that involve planning a tour.