Photo credit: Patrick Manning / Manning Photography
Our city has seen many independent coffee shops facing significant competition from chains like Starbucks and Milwaukee’s own Colectivo come and go over the last two decades. But Roast Coffee Company (2132 E. Locust St.) continues to thrive. The café just celebrated 15 years in business. Owner Ryan Mason, who attended UW-Milwaukee, noted the lack of coffee shops on and around campus. He opened his café in a former framing shop in 2004.
Besides the Eighth Note, a UWM Union staple for decades, the university now boasts The Grind, a coffee shop with five on-campus locations. However, Roast continues to attract plenty of students and East Side residents. “We’ve had really loyal support from all of the neighborhood people. They’ve kept us in business,” Mason says. The café is cozy yet industrial-chic, with local artwork lining the walls and plenty of electrical outlets for laptops and other devices.
Roast is known for its signature and seasonal espresso drinks, including Raspberry Truffle (a white chocolate mocha with raspberry syrup) and perennial favorites Crackhead (a caramel and white chocolate mocha), Black Label Mocha (Ghirardelli dark chocolate mocha with aniseed) and Latte Miel (milk, espresso, honey and cinnamon).
Roast uses many local products, including coffee and espresso from Wisconsin-based Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company and JBC Coffee Roasters. Mason also pays homage to Milwaukee’s music scene, with sandwiches and dishes named after local artists—among them a vegetarian Abby Jeanne sandwich, with cucumbers, red onions and dill mayonnaise; the Trapper Schoepp, a turkey, provolone cheese and pesto panini; and the King James, a turkey club sandwich with cheddar cheese.
In 2011, Mason added a catering component: a full-service espresso and coffee bar offering for large events such as weddings and corporate conventions. Roast has since added five coffee kiosks, which operate at art and music festivals, concert venues and conventions across the country, including Alpine Valley, a Texas aviation conference and a Harley-Davidson rally in Arizona. Past Roast clients include Cadillac, Runzheimer International and Fidelity Investments.
To date, the coffee company has also served its java and espresso drinks to fans at a number of concerts nationwide, including ones by Phish, the Zac Brown Band, KISS and the Dave Matthews Band. “We do about 75 concerts a year,” said Mason, adding, “People think we are this little coffee shop on the corner, but we brew coffee in five states. Most of our business is beyond the four walls of the café.”
