Meet the Roasters
Roasters and coffees rotate regularly, so there’s always something new to discover.
Waverly, Iowa
Based right here in Waverly, Iowa, thinkwell. approaches coffee as both a craft and a connection between people, place, agriculture, and the work behind every cup.
Owner Erik Johnson keeps the roasting process intentionally human. thinkwell. coffee is drum roasted without automated roasting systems, allowing each batch to guide the process rather than forcing every roast to match a preset profile. Their use of Finish Roast Temperature reflects that philosophy, with lower-temperature roasts tending to highlight brighter, more complex flavors and higher-temperature roasts producing more traditional, caramelized, and roasty characteristics.
Simply put, the coffee dictates the process — not production.
The goal is clean, fresh, high-quality specialty coffee that remains approachable. thinkwell. takes coffee seriously without making it feel elitist or intimidating.
That same care extends to where the coffee comes from. thinkwell. emphasizes ethical sourcing, traceability, quality agriculture, and lasting relationships with growers, producers, importers, and partners whose practices have been visited, vetted, or built through trusted relationships. For Erik, great coffee also means caring for the people producing it, respecting the land, and working with others who share those values — creating a kind of web of people behind every cup.
That philosophy became especially clear to me when I tried their Burundi Turihamwe.
Turihamwe means “together” in Kirundi, fitting the story behind the coffee. The women producing it worked, studied, and saved their premiums over several years to build their own wet mill, giving them greater control over the quality and processing of their coffee. thinkwell. describes the cup with notes of raspberry, kola, and honey, with a balanced, warming finish.
The coffee was absolutely delicious, but the story behind it made it even more memorable.
Erik has also been a great partner to Slow Morning from the beginning, welcoming the idea with enthusiasm and taking the time to understand what Slow Morning is trying to build.
That combination is why thinkwell. feels like such a natural fit.
There is precision in the way they study coffee, craftsmanship in the way they roast it, purpose in the relationships behind it, and an approachability that makes specialty coffee something anyone can enjoy.
We’re proud to feature thinkwell. in the Slow Morning lineup and excited to introduce more people to what they’re roasting right here in Waverly.
This is exactly what Slow Morning is about: discovering great coffee, learning the stories behind the roasters, and hopefully finding a new favorite along the way.
Los Angeles, California
Some roasters stand out because of flavor. Some stand out because of story.
Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. is one of those rare ones that brings both.
Their story began after a dog adoption event in Santa Monica, California, when the founder unexpectedly met and adopted a rescue pup named Molly. That simple change led to a bigger realization: so many people start their mornings the same way — with a hot cup of coffee and a little time spent with their dog. That quiet routine became the inspiration for Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. and the mission behind it. Their coffees are small-batch roasted, and 20% of profits help fund rescue initiatives for dogs in need. That’s also why their Rescue Roast program is such a neat fit for them — coffee with a real purpose behind it.
This is exactly the kind of roaster I want people to discover through Slow Morning.
Slow Morning was never meant to be about just putting coffee in a box. The whole idea was to help people come across independent roasters they may never have found otherwise — businesses with a point of view, a story, and something meaningful behind what they do. Grounds & Hounds fits that perfectly: great coffee, a calm morning ritual, and a mission that reaches beyond the cup.
San Antonio, Texas
The next roaster in the Slow Morning rotation feels like a natural fit.
There’s a sense of play woven through the whole company — coffees with names like Hopscotch, Tireswing, Campfire, and Daydream.
Their sense of play comes through in the coffee's taste as well. The Tireswing blend brings notes of pink lemonade, candied orange, chocolate, and caramel. That's not the only reason I want to highlight Tag Coffee Co. $1 from every Tag purchase goes to local community organizations serving foster kids and other children who could use a little more of that joy.
That is exactly the kind of roaster Slow Morning was created to help people find.
You can walk into a grocery store and buy coffee almost anywhere. But there are independent roasters all over the country doing things their own way, building businesses with personality, caring about the coffee they put in the bag and doing a little genuine good along the way.
Those are the places I want showing up on your doorstep.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Great White Brews is built around a simple idea: some of the best parts of the day are the slower ones.
The company says its origins came from quiet mornings on the porch, a warm mug in cold hands, and conversations that didn’t need to be rushed. That immediately stood out to me, because it lines up closely with what I want Slow Morning to feel like too.
Great White Brews roasts in small batches and offers a wide range of coffees, including single origins, blends, flavored coffees, and sample packs. Their goal is to make coffee that feels approachable while still giving people plenty of room to explore different styles and flavors.
Another part of their story I appreciated is that they connect the business to something larger than the coffee itself. Great White Brews says a portion of monthly sales is donated to organizations working to raise awareness about ocean health and help end shark finning globally.
When I look for roasters to include in Slow Morning, I’m not just looking for another coffee to put in a box.
I want roasters that have their own identity, offer something interesting to discover, and fit the kind of experience Slow Morning is trying to create.
Great White Brews checked all of those boxes for me.
Their focus on small-batch coffee, variety, and slower everyday moments felt like a natural fit. I also liked that their lineup gives people a chance to move beyond the same familiar grocery-store options and try coffees they may not have come across otherwise.
That is precisely what Slow Morning is about.
The goal is not to tell you what your favorite coffee should be. It is to give you the opportunity to try something different, learn a little about the people behind it, and maybe discover a roaster you want to come back to.
I’m glad Great White Brews is part of that experience.
Ceres, California
Jones’N Java is a family-run company with a story that started around the kitchen table.
Their name actually came from the Jones family themselves. Their son Jonathan pointed out that their last name was Jones—and that people “jones” for the things they love. Coffee included. From there, Jones’N Java was born.
As they began learning more about coffee, the family became increasingly focused on freshness, quality, and how coffee is sourced. Jones’N Java says it uses specialty-grade coffee, sources with an emphasis on fair treatment for farmers, and roasts coffee to order rather than letting finished coffee sit in warehouses for months.
Their lineup also reflects the kind of variety I like to feature through Slow Morning. They offer everything from signature blends and single-origin coffees to flavored coffees, espresso, decaf, and sample packs—giving people plenty of different directions to explore.
One of the biggest things that stood out to me about Jones’N Java is that their story goes beyond the coffee itself.
Their youngest son, Jotham, has autism, and the family has talked openly about how that experience shaped the larger vision for the company. Their goal is to eventually create meaningful work opportunities for people with autism and other disabilities—giving people a place to work, grow, and experience independence with dignity and support.
That makes Jones’N Java feel very personal.
It isn’t just a brand built around selling coffee. It’s a family business with a clear reason for what they’re trying to build.
They make trying new coffee approachable. Their variety gives people an opportunity to explore without feeling like coffee has to be overly complicated or intimidating.
Second, I liked their emphasis on freshness and roasting to order. If Slow Morning is going to introduce someone to a new roaster, I want that roaster to care about what actually ends up in the cup.
But their family story was what made them especially memorable to me.
There are a lot of companies that can sell coffee. I’m much more interested in working with independent roasters where there are real people, values, and a story behind the bag.
Jones’N Java has all three. That is exactly the kind of roaster I want people discovering through Slow Morning.
North Tonawanda, New York
For New Day Coffee Roasters, good coffee and community have always gone hand in hand.
Based in North Tonawanda, New York, New Day is a micro-roaster focused on freshness, variety, and giving customers plenty of ways to enjoy coffee. Their lineup ranges from traditional single-origin coffees and blends to a large selection of flavored coffees and single-serve options.
As a smaller roaster, New Day emphasizes having greater control over the finished product. Their coffee is packaged in resealable valve bags and, according to the company, shipped within 24 hours of roasting whenever possible. They source beans from around the world through importers that work directly with coffee producers, with the goal of delivering coffee that is both fresh and thoughtfully sourced.
But the coffee is only part of what caught my attention.
New Day has made supporting its community part of the business.
A portion of proceeds from its coffee has gone to local organizations including the FeedMore WNY/Food Bank community and Roswell Park, among other local causes.
They also have a long-running fundraising program designed specifically for schools, churches, daycares, teams, and other community organizations. Groups can use New Day coffee as a fundraiser and keep a portion of the sales to support their own programs. Their website includes testimonials from organizations that have worked with them for years — including a middle school that says it has partnered with New Day for its annual fundraiser for nearly two decades.
That part of their story fits very naturally with what I want Slow Morning to highlight.
There are two things I look for when bringing a roaster into the Slow Morning lineup.
First, the coffee has to give people something worth discovering.
New Day certainly does that. Their range of traditional and flavored coffees makes them a fun roaster to explore, especially for someone who likes stepping outside the same coffee they drink every morning.
But I also like finding businesses where there is something meaningful behind the coffee.
New Day's commitment to local charities and its work helping schools, churches, children's programs, and other organizations raise money stood out to me. It is another example of an independent coffee company using what it does well to support the people around it.
That is exactly the kind of story I enjoy sharing through Slow Morning.
The goal of every box is to help someone discover a coffee they may never have tried otherwise. Sometimes that discovery leads to a new favorite flavor. Other times, it introduces you to a company whose story gives you another reason to remember the coffee.
With New Day, you get a little of both.
Storm Lake, Iowa
Endless Sea Coffee is one of those roasters where the story behind the coffee matters just as much as what ends up in the cup.
Based in Storm Lake, Iowa, Endless Sea Coffee grew out of The Bridge of Storm Lake, a nonprofit founded to invest in local youth and create opportunities for them to learn, connect, and grow.
From that work, Endless Sea Coffee was born.
The coffee operation gives middle school, high school, and college students hands-on experience in areas like roasting, sales, customer service, promotion, accounting, and other real-world skills while working alongside adult mentors.
That purpose is what stood out to me.
Endless Sea is not just roasting coffee in Storm Lake. They are using coffee as a way to help young people build confidence, skills, and experience for the future.
Their philosophy centers around “Live Loved. Spread Joy.”, which fits naturally with the work they are doing in their community.
The coffee itself also gives people plenty to discover, with a lineup that includes single origins, blends, darker roasts, and flavored coffees.
Endless Sea Coffee is exactly the kind of roaster I want Slow Morning to highlight.
The coffee is interesting and approachable, but there is also a real purpose behind the business. I especially like finding roasters that are doing something meaningful beyond selling coffee, and Endless Sea is a great example of that.
Portland, Oregon
Cycle Town Coffee Roasters was founded in Portland in 2013, bringing together two things that naturally fit the Pacific Northwest: great coffee and getting outside.
The team behind Cycle Town brought decades of coffee experience into a brand built around movement, adventure, cycling, and whatever motivates someone to get up and get going in the morning. Their motto, “Share the Coffee. Share the Road.”, captures that personality well.
That identity originally caught my attention, but there is more behind the coffee.
Cycle Town places a strong emphasis on where its beans come from and the relationships behind them. They work with farms they have relationships with and use Fair Trade, Organic, and their own Direct Trade practices to help ensure producers are treated and paid fairly. Their philosophy is that strong relationships with farmers lead to better communities, better coffee, and partnerships that can last.
They also focus heavily on freshness. Coffee is roaster and packed as orders come in rather than sitting on a shelf waiting to be sold, using both drum and air roasting depending on the coffee and batch.
That combination is why I wanted Cycle Town in the Slow Morning lineup.
Their coffee gives people plenty to discover, but I also appreciate the thought they put into sourcing, farmer relationships, sustainability, and quality. Not every roaster Slow Morning features has the same type of mission, and that is part of what makes discovering them interesting.
Cycle Town has its own personality, its own approach, and a story that feels distinctly Portland.
That makes it exactly the kind of independent roaster I enjoy introducing people to.