carabello coffee - newport, ky
by David L.
Carabello Coffee's story began with a single roaster and a dream to build a great company that could help fund sustainable change in coffee producing nations. Owners Justin & Emily Carabello started by roasting their coffee in a garage with a hot air popcorn popper. This was in 2009, and things began to pick up quickly. Eventually they got a full size roaster and moved into another Northern Kentucky shop, Velocity Bike & Bean. (We'll be featuring Velocity in a future post as well.) Velocity BB is a bicycle and coffee shop and were looking for a coffee supplier at the time. They struck a deal to serve Carabello Coffee, which would be fresh roasted right in there shop every week.
It was a great partnership as both businesses were new at the time. They built a customer base and grew together, both becoming local favorites. In addition to supplying Velocity BB, Carabello began supplying coffee to many other clients as well. Churches, restaurants, and more began signing on to serve Carabello's coffee.
Eventually the business grew to the point where the Carabellos needed their own space. In addition to needing more space for roasting they had plans to open up their own cafe as well. They found a great space in Newport, KY in an area that was undergoing a lot of renewal and revitalization at the time. In the fall of 2013 Carabello Coffee opened its doors.
It took off right away becoming a staple of the community, and drawing many people who were already familiar with their brand. In the following years their business has grown exponentially, expanding in size and scope. In 2016 they purchased their building and opened their Analog Coffee Bar in the adjacent storefront. The Analog Coffee Bar offers specialty drinks and coffees served in a slower, more intimate setting. It's an opportunity to try something new, savor it, and learn something about it. The Analog Slow Bar also offers special events like brewing classes, tastings, and takeovers by other roasters in the region.
In 2019 they celebrated 10 years of roasting coffee. They moved their roasting operations into a separate building, allowing them to expand their cafe seating area. Their coffees are offered at an ever expanding list of locations around the Cincinnati area. Restaurants, hotels, cafes, and more. As their business has grown, so to has their ability to realize more of their vision for the company. Carabello Coffee is one of the best examples I've found of the kind of company we want to feature here at Sustainable Java. Be sure to check out the video below for an even closer look at their story and what they're doing now.
When you're done watching that head on over to their website at carabellocoffee.com tocheck out their selection of beans, or sign up for a Roasty Coffee Subsciption featuring Carabello Coffee.