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Apr 02, 2024

Build

Huckleberry Roasters has been bringing the denizens of Denver and beyond a taste of the lighter side of roasting for over a decade now. In that time, they’ve seen four of their own cafes open, and now

Huckleberry Roasters has been bringing the denizens of Denver and beyond a taste of the lighter side of roasting for over a decade now. In that time, they’ve seen four of their own cafes open, and now this month, there will be a fifth. With their newest location, Huckleberry is expanding further into the northwest reaches of the city, while still keeping it tightly knit; the new cafe is but a mile west from their Tennyson location.

The opening of the latest location is imminent, so keep your eyes peeled for the all-new Huckleberry Roasters cafe in Denver, Colorado.

The 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by DONA. The 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee is sponsored by La Marzocco, Pacific Barista Series, Acaia, and Marco Beverage Systems.

As told to Sprudge by Mickayla Wawrousek.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

We are a specialty coffee roaster based in Denver, CO started in 2011, with the core belief that business should build a sense of collective culture and community by investing in people.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

This is our fifth cafe that will be opening in the Denver area, we’ve renovated the entire interior with custom built-ins to best welcome folks into the space, signage was completed by local artists and we’ll be utilizing a drive-thru for service for the first time.

What’s your approach to coffee?

HUCK is committed to building a sustainable coffee business that prioritizes being a reliable roasting partner to the smallholder farms and coffee co-ops we work with. More generally, we seek to be a responsible business that actively supports local and global NGO’s and community-based organizations that support those who need it the most, both within and beyond the coffee industry.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We’ll be using a La Marzocco for in-shop service and an Eversys machine for drive-thru service.

How is your project considering sustainability?

The building is not ours and the building owner, while entirely nice and delightful, was not super interested in contributing to buildout hopes and dreams. So, we spend a pretty penny updating and/or bringing up to code decidedly non-sexy parts of the building like the roof, insulation for the entire building, and the windows to maximize our efficiency when it comes to heating/cooling the building. We also are being intentional about how we’re green-ifying the property and prioritizing low water, bees- and butterfly-friendly plants on the patio and a few city-owned green spaces. Long term, we’re always keen to throw solar panels on flat roofs when we’re able, but that’s not something we were able to do right away.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

Within the first couple of weeks of August 2023.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Our general construction partners are Interlock Construction, which is the same team that built out our roasting warehouse—love them! The radical in-the-round garden seating for the interior space is being fabricated by The Public Works. The initial space design and all architecture services are by Shelterbelt Design. All signage (menu, drive-thru, building, etc.) was created by our longtime partner Lisa Wright of Obsesso Processo, and hand-painted signage and mural work was done by our BFF Olive Moya.

Thank you!

Thank YOU!

The 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by DONA. The 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee is sponsored by La Marzocco, Pacific Barista Series, Acaia, and Marco Beverage Systems.