When coffee lovers walk into BREW Tea & Coffee Bar in Lafayette, they’ll now be greeted with more than the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee — they’ll see the future of roasting in action. In early 2025, BREW began roasting its own beans with the Bellwether Roaster, a fully electric, ventless machine that’s changing the game for cafés everywhere.
For BREW, the move is more than just a smart business decision in the face of rising bean costs. It’s an extension of their values: sustainability, intentionality, and deep connection — with their customers, their partners at origin, and every cup they serve. In this Q&A, the team at BREW shares what inspired the switch, how roasting in-house transforms both flavor and experience, and why they believe electric roasting is the future of coffee.
BREW is also one of the newest members of the Voyage Spotlights community. Members work with Voyage to support our mission in so many ways from collaborating on great content like this to introducing us to hidden gems in the community, sponsoring our various series and events and so much more.
What inspired you to start roasting your own coffee instead of sourcing from other roasters?
In early 2025, we felt the shift in the coffee market firsthand. The cost of beans from our roaster supplier jumped nearly 26% overnight. At about 350 pounds a month, that was more than just a bump in cost; it was a reminder of how vulnerable we were to market swings we couldn’t control in any way.
Roasting our own beans became both a smart business move and a way to stand out. It gives us stability, but it also deepens the meaning of our motto, Stay Grounded. Now, every cup you enjoy here has been cared for from green bean to final sip, right under our roof.
One partnership we’re especially proud to continue is with Redemption Road (our previous roaster) and their Malawi beans. Malawi coffee is incredibly rare in the U.S. — only a few hundred bags are brought in each year. We love it not only for its exclusivity but also for its versatility. Whether brewed as drip, pulled as espresso, or poured over ice for cold brew, it shines every time.
This transition also makes our value of Just a Little Thought more tangible. We can listen to what our customers enjoy and make thoughtful adjustments batch by batch. For us, roasting is about relationships — with our customers, with our origin partners, and with the coffee itself. The goal has always been the same: a clean cup of coffee that leads to more relationships.
For people who aren’t familiar, what makes the Bellwether Roaster different from traditional roasting machines?
The Bellwether Roaster is a game-changer because it’s fully electric and completely ventless — no gas lines, no afterburners, and no giant exhaust systems. That means we can roast right inside the shop without needing an industrial setup. Customers can literally see the machine at work while sipping their coffee.
It’s also built with smart technology. Instead of manually adjusting knobs and levers, we can design roast profiles on Bellwether’s software. Once a profile is set, the machine repeats it consistently, batch after batch. That balance of control and precision ensures every bag of beans we sell and every shot we pull has the same quality you expect.
Most importantly, it fits who we are as a small, local coffee shop. Just like we make syrups in-house and keep things micro and intentional, this roaster lets us bring the heart of coffee right into the café. It’s not tucked away in a warehouse — it’s part of the experience you get when you walk through our doors.
How does electric roasting help reduce your environmental footprint compared to traditional gas roasters?
Traditional roasters run on natural gas and usually require afterburners to burn off smoke — which means more fossil fuels, more emissions, and a bigger footprint. The Bellwether Roaster is 100% electric and ventless, so there’s no on-site combustion and no extra exhaust systems pumping into the air.
In fact, studies show that roasting this way can reduce the carbon footprint of coffee roasting by nearly 90%. And because it runs on electricity, we can take advantage of Colorado’s growing renewable energy grid — meaning every batch gets a little greener over time.
For us, it’s simple: if we can serve a clean, delicious cup of coffee while also caring for our local environment, that’s the path we want to take. Roasting this way aligns with our values and lets us share coffee that’s better for everyone.
How does roasting your own beans change the flavor experience for your customers? What kind of control or customization do you now have over the roast profile that you didn’t before?
Freshness is everything when it comes to coffee. By roasting in-house, we can serve beans that go from green to cup in just days, not weeks or months! That means brighter flavors, fuller aromas, and a cup that really reflects the unique character of each bean.
The Bellwether gives us control we never had before. We can design and fine-tune roast profiles to highlight exactly what we want — maybe it’s the citrusy brightness in one coffee as a light roast, or the chocolatey body as a dark roast in another. And if we hear feedback from customers, we can actually respond. A few small adjustments to a roast curve can make a big difference in the final flavor. That said, we know we still have a lot to learn. Roasting is its own craft, and as we step into this new venture, we’re learning, experimenting, and improving every week. For us, that’s part of the joy — inviting our customers into the process as we grow.
It also gives us room to experiment. We can create blends unique to BREW, roast micro-batches for limited runs, or showcase single origins in a way that tells their story. It’s roasting with intention, and it means every cup our customers drink has been crafted not just for consistency, but for joy.
Are there specific coffees or blends you’re especially excited to roast in-house?
Absolutely. One of the coffees we’re most excited about is our Malawi bean. It’s incredibly rare — only a couple hundred bags even make it to the U.S. each year. What makes it special is its versatility: it’s outstanding as a drip, smooth and balanced as espresso, and even holds up beautifully as cold brew. Not many coffees can do all three and still taste exceptional.
We’re grateful to continue our partnership with Redemption Road to bring this origin to our customers. That relationship is built on trust and quality, and keeping it alive while roasting in-house makes the coffee even more meaningful to us.
Beyond Malawi, we’re excited to explore unique single origins, create blends that are distinct to BREW, and experiment with small-batch offerings that let our community taste something new. Roasting in-house gives us the freedom to be curious, to test, and to share coffees that reflect both our craft and our values.
As a reminder for folks – what’s the address, hours and anything else they should know about parking, etc?
You’ll find us at 802 S. Public Road Ste B, Lafayette, CO 80026, right next door to Due South. We’re open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Parking is easy — there’s free street parking all along Public Road, plus additional spaces in the back. If you’re coming with friends, carpooling or biking is always a great option too.
Whether you’re swinging by for a quick cup, meeting up with a friend, or staying to study or work, our doors are open and the coffee is roasting fresh right here in the shop.
Website: https://www.brewduesouth.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brewduesouth/
