Roastery Story: Rubicon Coffee Roasters, Bridgeport Coffee, and Blooming Hearts Coffee

Our Roastery Stories usually spotlight CoffeeTec’s partnership with one specific coffee roasting business to solve their coffee roasting needs. Most recently, we introduced you to West Coast Coffee Roasters, What’s The Buzz Specialty Coffee, and Black Rock Coffee Bar. This month, we’re sharing a doozy of a story that involves three roasteries run by three very different people, in different parts of the country, and in different stages of their coffee roasting journey. 

A Tale Of Two Roasters: Sivetz & San Franciscan 

It all started in mid-January when Eric Curtis of Rubicon Coffee Roasters in Nevada contacted CoffeeTec with a request: He wanted to sell his 2021 3-kilo San Franciscan SF6 and get CoffeeTec’s help in sourcing a larger roaster. Some exciting things had recently shifted in Eric’s world, and he needed to jump into a much larger roaster. If you follow our blog, you’ll know that last month’s blog post addressed the idea of “leveling up” into a larger machine — and Eric is a great case in point.

Thing is, Eric wasn’t looking for just any roaster; he wanted to purchase a Sivetz roaster. CT had a few leads on Sivetz roasters but Eric’s need to include an afterburner made the request a bit more challenging. Still, CT went to work sourcing afterburners that would work with an existing Sivetz machine on CoffeeTec’s website.

At the same time, CT prepared Eric’s SF6 for listing, and as soon as his roaster hit the website, it started generating instant interest and activity. CT worked with several interested buyers, all of whom were dragging their heels for different reasons. 

Then, CT received a call from Sandra Dias, a relatively new roaster in Massachusetts also looking to move up into a larger machine to handle her growing production needs for her shop, Blooming Hearts Roastery & Cafe.

CT recalls what happened next: 

“Sandra swooped in, saw exactly what she wanted, and offered to buy the SF6 right away — and from right underneath the buyers who were taking time to decide on a purchase. With CoffeeTec’s enormous footprint on the Internet, our products average 50+ views a day from many interested parties. As usual, someone (Sandra) saw something they wanted and quickly bought it. Here’s the moral of the story: If you see something you like on our website, don’t wait! Reach out to us and let us know because our inventory can move quickly.” 

Meanwhile, CT was working with his contacts on a Sivetz solution for Eric when, of all things, he found a Sivetz with an afterburner and cooler that CoffeeTec client Mike Pilkington in Chicago needed to sell.

A seasoned veteran roaster, Mike was moving up into a larger Loring to support increased volume for his business, Bridgeport Coffee. And, if you know Sivetz, then you know they all don't come with a cooler, because as an air roaster, the roasted beans just cool in the machine after the roast cycle is completed. 

Mike sent CT one photo of his Sivetz with afterburner and cooler with a request to sell his roaster within four weeks. CT immediately forwarded the photo to Eric, who instantly agreed to purchase the equipment. CT had been challenged to sell this unique setup within one month, and he sold it within one day. 

This story came to a head on February 9, with BOTH sales officially transacting on the same day: CoffeeTec received payment from Eric for Mike’s Sivetz mini-plant, and from Sandra for Eric’s SF6 on the same day.

Both roasters transacted via DocuSign agreements followed by CoffeeTec's incredible logistics team going to work facilitating and tracking the crating and freighting processes. Machines are to arrive at their new roasting homes before the end of February.

Added bonus: At CoffeeTec’s request, Mike did an awesome job taking dozens of photos of the Sivetz roaster, afterburner, and cooler so that Eric will know how to assemble it correctly on his end. Just another example of how CoffeeTec is always championing our buyers’ success!

CoffeeTec Works Hard To Source The Right Roasting Equipment For You

One might read this story and think that based on how smoothly the events unfolded, everything was just meant to be. However, this is really a story about how we’re constantly working behind the scenes to source the best used equipment within CoffeeTec’s coffee roasting community.

Here’s something you may not realize: We hear from people all the time who have equipment to sell but aren’t quite ready to sell it. So, we build up a rich “sideline” of inventory that we keep in mind when we’re talking to prospective buyers about what they need. Similar to a pocket listing in real estate, and as we mention in this month’s blog in more detail, we’ll sell these roasters without them ever hitting our website.

3 Roasteries, 2 Roasters, and 1 Happy Ending For All

Within three short weeks, CoffeeTec connected and sold two roasters that impacted three roasteries in the Midwest, the Western US, and the East Coast:

• Mike Pilkington, a veteran roaster, in Chicago, with a booming roasting business and multiple shops

• Eric Curtis, a roaster in Reno, NV growing his roasting business

• Sandra Dias in Milford, MA, who, together with her partner Adriana, is just starting out with their coffee roasting business with plans to expand to a brick-and-mortar coffee cafe

All three people involved in the sale are ecstatic:

• Eric was able to work with CoffeeTec to sell a roaster and immediately invest the proceeds from that sale into a new machine giving him funds to purchase the Sivetz.

• Mike challenged CoffeeTec to sell his Sivetz mini-plant in one month, and CoffeeTec sold it in one day.

• Sandra quickly found a roaster that would work for her. She needed it up and running in a few weeks’ time, and she’ll meet her goal thanks to CoffeeTec.

CoffeeTec Is Here For You

Are you looking to buy or sell a roaster to take your coffee business to the next level in your coffee roasting journey? If so, please contact us for a chat. 

We’ve always got a rotating selection of used and new equipment, and we take time to understand what you’re looking for to keep your roastery running. We can also advise on your roastery plans and logistics. Let us help you build the coffee roastery of your dreams!