Commentary by Mark LaFay
For many people, coffee isn’t simply a morning ritual. It’s a way to connect with others. Making it is a craft to be mastered and a reflection of the community’s evolving tastes. Through conversations with several roasters in Hamilton County, I’ve discovered how coffee has become a cornerstone of community life here.
Let’s start with Indie Coffee Roasters in Carmel. In 2018, Diane McAndrews opened Indie Coffee Roasters on Main Street. Since then, it has expanded to multiple locations, including a second in Carmel at North End, at Purdue University and in Noblesville.
“Consumer interest is growing, and people are getting more curious about coffee,” McAndrews said. “It is very culinary. We don’t serve food. It was our strategy from Day 1. We focus on coffee and community, knowing people.”
Jeremy Balch at Geist Coffee also emphasizes quality and community engagement. He took over an existing shop in 2018 and revitalized it. He uses beans from Utopian Coffee Roasters, known for their direct sourcing from farmers.
“Over the past few years, customers have been asking deeper questions about coffee origins and processing,” Balch said. “Our culture is shifting from blind consumerism to educated purchasing. Farmers are now able to invest in better equipment and processing methods that truly affect quality and taste in the cup.”
Allie Commons, founder and owner of RIVET Coffee Bar & Roastery in Westfield, said she started roasting beans even before the shop opened in May 2021.
“We would roast beans in the ‘garage’ while the shop was being built out,” Commons said. “Neighbors would smell the roasting, see the activity and it built a bit of buzz prior to opening,”
The staff often encourages customers to check out the roastery. Educational cupping classes are also an interactive opportunity to teach customers about the nuances of artisanal coffee.
MOTW Coffee & Pastries, established in 2021, with locations in Carmel, Fishers and Indianapolis, has made education a cornerstone of its business. With a foundation rooted in community and a commitment to local causes, MOTW trains its baristas to share their extensive coffee knowledge with customers.
“MOTW’s foundation has always been about community,” Nasif Rahman with MOTW said. “Our baristas go through extensive training and testing to be prepared to give guests a great experience.”
Ken Julian of Julian Coffee Roasters in Zionsville has seen the evolution of coffee culture firsthand. Founded in 2004, Julian Coffee Roasters initially operated several coffee shops but now focuses on wholesale and online retail. It ensures quality through state-of-the-art roasting equipment and direct trade relationships with farmers in Honduras.
“Coffee is similar to wine in that every coffee can have a variety of flavor profiles based on how it is processed at the farms and how it is roasted,” said Julian, noting that his shop’s subscription service introduces customers to new micro-lot coffees each month, keeping things fresh and exciting.
These personal stories reveal quite a bit about our local coffee culture. The common thread running through each roaster is their passion for education, quality and community engagement. Whether it’s offering cupping classes where consumers learn to drink and smell coffee, inviting customers into the roastery, or training baristas to be coffee educators, these shops are fostering a deeper connection between consumers and the coffee they drink.
