Specialty coffee is cultivated at high elevations with the farmer’s careful attention. It is then sold to coffee merchants or roasted coffee shops at a premium.
The roasters then develop unique profiles for each coffee, which serve to amplify and showcase the beans’ inherent flavors.
- Airship Coffee
- Arsaga’s Coffee Roasters
- The Black Bison Company
- Retro Roasts
- Fort Smith Coffee Co.
- Mylo Coffee Company
1. Airship Coffee
Mark started Airship’s wholesale coffee roasting company in 2010 in addition to his regular employment as an agricultural extension agent at the University of Arkansas.
In the first year of operation, they had a 300% increase in sales, and there wasn’t all that much local rivalry, so they were able to capitalize. Third-wave cafes were all the rage in middle America, and as a result, a lot of new businesses joined the market, raising the stakes.
Under the wholesale model, it became clear that they were losing a chance to communicate our story with their community on a more personal level without an Airship-branded, customer-facing experience.
Nonetheless, they had a devoted clientele, and with the increase in foot (and bicycle) traffic in the area, saw an opportunity to open a store.
With that in mind, in 2018 they launched the roastery’s coffee shop. Soon, they discovered a new depth in retail purpose by establishing an outdoor café in the Coler Mountain Bike Preserve, a location where a genuine community may flourish.
Contact Info
Website: https://airshipcoffee.com/
2. Arsaga’s Coffee Roasters
In the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas is where you’ll find Arsaga’s Coffee Roasters, a small company run by a kind family. We strive to provide excellent coffee in a friendly setting.
They believe it’s clear that they’re passionate about both Fayetteville and coffee from the way they have supported the local economy and worked tirelessly to deliver excellent beans since 1992. To help the coffee farmers we were dealing with, we decided to start our own roasting company.
James had planned to start a blueberry farm in Arkansas after finishing his master’s degree in horticulture, but instead, he went to Central America to assist in establishing sustainable agricultural projects with communities that cultivate coffee in Honduras and Guatemala. There, he learned about the intricacies of the coffee industry, from planting and harvesting to processing, roasting, and cupping.
He began his training as a cupper under the guidance of the country’s most experienced cuppers at a Guatemala City exporting cupping facility. It was in Guatemala that he first learned about the nuances in taste and aroma that may be attributed to factors like altitude, terroir, and geography. There, he laid the groundwork for the fruitful connections that continue to benefit the company more than a decade later.
Contact Info
Website: http://arsagas.com/
3. The Black Bison Company
The Black Bison Company is located in Fort Smith, AR, are coffee roasters who also run a gift store. It’s a barn that’s been there for 110 years, and it’s now their storefront.
Check out their locally roasted small-batch coffee while perusing the one-of-a-kind selection of gifts, fine art, jewellery, boutique products, and more! They also collaborate with multiple charities such as The Children’s Shelter, whose goal is to be a safe and stable environment where children and teens in foster care who have been neglected or abused can receive the long-term, evidence-based, trauma-informed, resident-centred, and family-focused care they need to heal from their emotional and behavioural disorders.
Contact Info
Website: https://www.blackbisoncoffee.com/
4. Retro Roasts
Retro Roasts are a family-run business with roots in Russellville, Arkansas. They are in the business of providing excellent coffee to equally excellent customers. They are achieving this by incorporating fascinating regional history into the core business principles
Former Osage and Cherokee Indian territories were initially purchased by Dr Thomas Russell. On May 21, 1974, Arkansas Nuclear One became the first and only nuclear power facility in the state. In or about 1910, the Missouri-Pacific Railroad constructed the Russellville Depot Station.
Currier & Ives also released their iconic print of The Arkansas Traveler in 1870. Our decaf coffee comes with a music sheet with a snippet from the Arkansas Traveler’s “Old State Anthem,” which was previously sung across the state. In what way does this relate to Russellville? This is the original picture, and it was painted locally.
Contact Info
Website: https://www.retroroasts.com/
5. Fort Smith Coffee Co.
Fort Smith Coffee Co. is a coffee shop in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The seed for our idea was planted more than a decade ago, but they got their start on the ground floor, roasting coffee beans and selling them at farmers’ markets and other local events.
The first physical location of our company launched in May of 2017. Their coffee is roasted in-house, our baristas are highly trained, and they all bake treats from the syrups to the cookies, daily.
Fort Smith Coffee Co. is run by the husband-and-wife team of Gabe and Kaity Gould. Gabe grew up in Fort Smith and served in the Navy. Kaity’s hometown is San Luis Obispo, and she grew up there. They work together to manage the family company and the needs of their four children, Jack, Benjamin, Rebekah, and Anabelle. If you stop by Coffee Co., you’re likely to run across the owners, who are true “mom and pop,” and their staff.
Contact Info
Website: https://www.fortsmithcoffeeco.com/
6. Mylo Coffee Company
In the beginning, Mylo Coffee Company sold artisanal pastries and pour-over coffees at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. They established vital connections with local farmers and artisans as demand increased for baked goods and coffee.
Relationships like this laid the groundwork for a concept that guides their actions at Mylo, which is why it’s become a physical business. At Mylo, they base actions on a dedication to the greater good.
Their business model relies heavily on food procurement, but know that sustainable practices extend well beyond just buying high-quality foods. It requires prioritizing fairness and justice before material comfort or efficiency.
Contact Info
Website: https://www.mylocoffee.com/
