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c Management

Stroy/ Zachary Fritzhand

Sales
Margins
Profit

SO, I’M THINKING ABOUT

STARTING

A ROASTING I get asked all the time, “How much

BUSINESS would be to get a roasting operation
does it cost to start a roasting busi-
ness?” So, of course, I crunched the
numbers just to see how realistic it

off the ground. Please use this solely
as a basis for ideation and don’t take
it as the only way to start your roasting
business. My goal is not to discourage
anyone from jumping into production roast-
ing, but rather answer a few frequently asked
questions we hear from enthusiasts and start-up
stage professionals. I want to encourage everyone
to pursue their dreams and hope I can support the
beginning stages of your thought processes about how
to start your own roasting business.
So, I’m thinking about starting a roasting business.
“When is the right time to make the jump from hobby
home roasting enthusiast, to full blown production
roaster?” This question is nearly as subjective as “what
We’ve all thought about is the best coffee in the world?”, a question every coffee
it. I’ve used an old hot air professional receives at some point during their career.
popcorn popper to “roast” Only you can decide when you want to make the leap.
coffee for my friends and For me, I would want to look at this question a few dif-
family. So, what’s stopping ferent ways to ensure I’m not taking too much risk. Let’s
me from quitting my job and divide this up a few different ways. There is the startup
building the next uber trendy and operating costs. There is the marketing capital to
microroastery? Well, besides get things rolling. And of course at some point we will
being completely in love with the need to have some sales. A lot of folks I speak with have
supply chain and trading side of the coffee industry, started roasting as a side hustle that seems to take on a
and thoroughly adoring the people who I work with life of its own and allows them to smoothly transition to
(had to get that out of the way), there’s a big difference a full time gig. That doesn’t mean you should do it this
from being an enthusiast and professional, especially way, there are plenty of folks that have decided to just
for someone like myself, who is averse to risk. However, take the plunge.

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