There is so much happening in Denver that it can’t all possibly be contained within Denver. That’s why Greg Pierce and Shelley Flood looked west to Arvada to find the home for their new roastery and cafe. There they found a perfect and truly unique space for their dream shop: a red grain silo. Well, kind of. The namesake for Red Silo Coffee Roasters isn’t technically the home for the operation but still stands on the 19th century farm upon which Pierce and Flood opened their cafe.
But the silo was inspiration for more than just a name. Pierce and Flood want Red Silo like a farmhouse, “a gathering place for friends and family,” as Flood says. And I have to say, it’s a pretty unique setting. I’d be hard pressed to not take my coffee to go and try to sneak in into the old grain tube. Red Silo in a red silo. I can’t think of anything more fitting.
As told to Sprudge by Shelley Flood.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
Red Silo was founded by two long-time friends with a passion for great coffee and entrepreneurship. Greg Pierce and Shelley Flood have worked together on new construction and design projects for more than 20 years. Their latest project, a mixed use commercial campus, located just 20 minutes west of Denver, seemed to be the perfect location to launch their latest idea… a craft coffee shop… and Red Silo was born.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
Red Silo is located on what used to be a family farm plot back in the late 1800s. The red grain silo is all that is left of that legacy and became the namesake for the cafe and roastery. Aside from providing a fantastic craft coffee experience, our goal is to become a hub for our local community. Our space embodies the farmhouse—a gathering place for friends and family. We look forward to people connecting and conversing at Red Silo. Interestingly enough, we do not plan to offer wi-fi in our cafe. We really want to encourage a community connection, not just be another internet cafe.
In addition to this beautifully designed space, featuring both soft seating, an outdoor area (boasting a lovely view of our turn-of-the-century silo), and plenty of cafe seating, we have included a reservable “Community Room” which will be available for gatherings, meetings, parties, and the like. This space will feature a huge farm-table and will also host full audio/visual capabilities for state-of-the-art meetings etc. We have also replicated the Red Silo inside the cafe—it houses our roaster and will be a constant reminder to the family and community connection that the silo symbolizes for us.
Last but not least, Red Silo has a full coffee education lab, which will be utilized not only for quality control and employee training but for fun coffee education classes for our customers as well.
What’s your approach to coffee?
While we have always had a passion for a really great cup of coffee, we are relatively new to the craft coffee industry. We have spent the last two years visiting every craft coffee shop we can find, meeting baristas, roasters, other cafe owners, and gaining knowledge from the very best in the industry. What we have learned is this: coffee truly is a love language. People are passionate about their coffee, and so are we! We look to push the bar forward in everything we do. We like to try the new and interesting and put our own twist on it. We love the experimental (empirical??) side of craft coffee, just trying out new blends—or a different roast—or crafting a new specialty drink.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
We have the gambit—Synesso MVP espresso machine, Mahlkönig EK43, Peak, Tanzania grinders, Marco Dual SP-9, BUNN Trifecta (for tea), Curtis GemX brewer and tea brewer, Kegerator for Nitro Coffee, Cold Brew, Nitro Tea, Kombucha, and other tasty bevs. 10kg Proaster roaster and sample roaster.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
September 15 (fingers crossed)
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
The space was designed by both owners, Greg Pierce and Shelley Flood.
Thank you!
Thanks for considering us. We are so excited to share our space with you!
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