“There is a vibrancy to downtown Lancaster that hasn’t been here in a long time,” said Scott Smith, owner of Lancaster County Coffee Roasters. “Other cities would love to have the vitality that Lancaster City does. We are thankful to be part of it.”

Humble Bean Beginnings

“We used to be a wholesaler at the beginning. But in 2000, we decided to do all the roasting ourselves,” said Scott. “Having that locally roasted coffee right here in Lancaster was very important to us.”

At first, many of the restaurants in the area were sourcing coffee from outside the community. That’s when Scott knew they could really make a difference and help impact Lancaster.

“We began to contact local businesses and provide them with our coffee,” said Scott. “There is a sense of authenticity, craft, and quality to Lancaster and we work hard to translate that into our coffee.”

The business continued to grow, further establishing itself as Lancaster’s coffee with a retail presence that now appears in grocery stores and markets all around the region.

“Our goal is to maintain standards of quality while providing strong customer service,” added Scott. “We want to be on the edge of progressive trends when they arise. We want to be a market leader in the coffee business—it’s about adapting and being dynamic.”

Lancaster County Coffee Roasters is Lancaster’s coffee—and it’s all about community. In this story, you can see how the new roaster perfectly roasts the coffee. Then, discover many of the spots you can get Lancaster County Coffee Roasters’ brew (from espresso martinis and coffee-crusted steak, to a new draft latte and homemade Nutella pop tarts).

Grab a mug, fill ‘er up, and enjoy the feature!

The Right Roast

The process of roasting the beans is systematic, quick, and full of specific guidelines.

“We purchased a roaster recently that roasts more efficiently, more cleanly,” said Scott. “This new roaster is better for the environment. It is also the best coffee roaster you can buy—simply put. Everything is roasted to order to ensure that this quality is maintained. You are not going to get a fresher product.”

Dave Turner, coffee roaster extraordinaire at Lancaster County Coffee Roasters, explained why he is dedicated to perfecting each and every blend.

“I enjoy the challenge of hand blending and roasting different beans to create not just a good cup of coffee, but a great cup of coffee,” said Dave. “It’s about the joy I feel knowing that a simple cup of coffee that I roasted can make someone’s day.”

Here is the six-step process Dave follows to make the delicious brew that utilizes this fantastic new roaster.

1. Sourcing. The team carefully sources and selects beans mainly from Central & South America, Africa, and Indonesia. These beans, raw and green, are brought into the warehouse by the truckload.
2. Sifting. The green raw beans are scooped from burlap bags into the bean cart to be weighed. Beans are then sucked from the cart into the hopper of the roaster. A magnet in the bottom of the green bean cart catches any debris that is in the beans—coffee is an agricultural product and therefore has some debris from time to time that the team needs to dispose.
3. Roasting. The roast profile is selected on the main computer control module. Beans are dumped into the roast drum and the paddles inside keep them continuously moving as they are roasted to perfection.
4. Cooling. When they are ready, roasted beans are released into the cooling bin which sucks in air as it spins to cool the beans.
5. Sifting. Cooled beans are put through a destoner to catch any remaining debris that was not caught by the green bean cart at the beginning.
6. Packaging. Beans are either packaged in whole form or put through an industrial coffee grinder and packaged ground.

“The quality coffee starts with our recipes,” added Scott. “For our dark roast, we know the notes we are trying to hit—so we select certain coffees to import that we know will hit certain markets.”

The process of sourcing coffee beans is a critical one. Each batch of arriving beans are heavily evaluated on a consistent basis to ensure the quality is maintained.

“Being consistent keeps that standard quality each time,” said Scott. “It’s a very important step.”

All The Ways You Can Get Lancaster County Coffee Roasters coffee in Lancaster

Lancaster County Coffee Roasters is offered around the region, but is especially prominent in some great spots in the City! From infused cocktails to steak dinners, here’s our Fig guide on where to find Lancaster’s coffee around the community.

Lancaster County Coffee Roasters – Lancaster Central Market

You can find many of your favorite Lancaster County Coffee Roasters beverage options at their stand at Lancaster Central Market. But the new addition may just be our favorite—the draft latte (pictured above). It’s a new innovation that’s basically a light, creamy coffee milkshake.

After working on it for quite some time, the team finally settled on the perfect recipe to create the cutting-edge latte.

Try it at Central Market on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays during Market hours.

Checkers Bistro

Coffee isn’t just used for beverages—there are culinary opportunities to use the flavor as well.

Checkers Bistro uses this idea for their Coffee Cured Petite Filet—featuring Potatoes Au Gratin, Haricots Verts, and Port Wine Gastrique. Lancaster County Coffee Roasters coffee is used to flavor this rich dish that shows just how versatile coffee can be! Don’t just wake up with coffee, you can celebrate the taste far into the evening.

Cabalar Meat Co.

What better way to enjoy breakfast than a Cabalar egg sandwich and Lancaster County Coffee Roasters Cold Brew?

The newly packaged Cold Brew by Lancaster County Coffee Roasters is now sold at Cabalar Meat Co. in the Keppel Building on Queen Street. Pair it with the astoundingly delicious egg sandwich, and your morning routine will never be the same.

Of course, you can get the cold brew for lunch as well while eating one of Cabalar’s epic burgers or sandwiches.

Annie Bailey’s

Commonwealth on Queen

Two items at Commonwealth on Queen utilize Lancaster County Coffee Roasters coffee. First, the iced coffee brew has Lancaster County Coffee Roasters coffee, chocolate syrup, and milk. It’s definitely a kick of caffeine perfect for a hot summer day!

Secondly, you can enjoy freshly baked Nutella Poptarts, with the the Nutella ganache filling infused with Lancaster County Coffee Roasters espresso. What a way to wake up—we can’t get enough of the rich, coffee/chocolate flavor in each bite.

The Belvedere

Sharon has worked at The Belvedere for over 15 years and was the mastermind behind their absolutely fantastic Espresso Martini.

She created this martini about a decade ago, and has been serving it to happy customers ever since. It’s a fully legitimate vodka drink (meaning the vodka is not espresso-flavored). Then it’s mixed with actual espresso from Lancaster County Coffee Roasters to give it a deliciously rich coffee flavor. Of course there are some other secrets to the mix as well, that Sharon rightfully keeps to herself. You must try this wonderful cocktail!

Lemon Street Market

Lemon Street Market is a full-service grocery store focused on sustainable and healthy living with many local, organic, vegan, and gluten-free options. By shopping at Lemon Street Market, customers directly support more than 125 local and regional farmers and vendors.

One of of the vendors is Lancaster County Coffee Roasters. You can find many of their famous roasted blends in the store. Perfect for home use or for gifts! Who wouldn’t want a taste of Lancaster?

What are you waiting for? Check out all these coffee spots and more like them. Visit the Lancaster County Coffee Roasters website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

“We are not a large team,” added Scott. “But we are driving a train of innovation. I am proud that we can be a market leader in this town and create a coffee that is celebrated in the community.”

Whether you’d like a cozy coffee break, a night out with cocktails, or a dinner with friends, you can experience Lancaster’s coffee with Lancaster County Coffee Roasters all around the City.