Build-Outs Of Summer: Snowy Owl Coffee, Brewster, Massachusetts

Big things are happening out in sleepy little Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the form of Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters, a brand new company setting up shop on a working farm growing everything from wine grapes to gingko to beer hops. They’ve got themselves a bevy of professional coffee roasting and making equipment, plus a coffee bar made out of two hundred-year-old barn wood. In a summer of Build-Outs highlights, this one is tough to top!

We also love a bit of connectivity between the years here at Build-Outs of Summer. The folks at Cape Cod’s Snowy Owl Coffee are openly inspired by the couple behind San Francisco’s Andytown Coffee, a spot we featured in the original Build-Outs series all the way back in August 2013. Though they’re now running coffee brands on opposite sides of the United States, we’re proud to be a through-line between these two cool small businesses.

As told to Sprudge by Shayna Ferullo.

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

We are a married couple who fell in love with specialty coffee and local roasters during our chapter living in San Francisco. We moved to Cape Cod in 2013, had our first child, and then decided to undertake the dream of opening our own coffee roaster and cafe. While we were very inspired by several roasters in SF, our good friends at Andytown Coffee Roasters are largely responsible for not only inspiring us, but pushing us to make our dream become a reality.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

Snowy Owl Coffee is located in what is known around these parts as “the Herb Shop.” The space sits on 15 acres of farmland and abuts Historic Rt 6A and the Cape Cod Rail (bike) Trail. The building was constructed and has been occupied by Stephan Brown; it has been the center for his herbal apothecary business for more than 2 and 1/2 decades. The space has an “old barn” feel. Stephan is moving his tincture production and retail business to the back of the building, where he has built also an addition. Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters and cafe has taken over the front of the building. The property offers so many incredible opportunities to connect with nature and the earth. Stephan has several dozen ginkgo trees, beer hops, herbs, wine grapes—you name it—growing on this property. While we can’t grow coffee, we certainly plan on taking advantage of this space to connect our customers to agriculture.

What’s your approach to coffee?

Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters wants to connect our consumer to the entire process of producing a high-quality cup of coffee and to cultivate understanding, education, and appreciation for each person that shapes the coffee, including the growers in producing countries. We will offer freshly roasted and meticulously prepared coffees to the Cape Cod public and beyond while raising consciousness about direct trade, organic and environmentally sound coffee growing practices, and sustainable business practices, including environmental and social stewardship in our own transactions. We strive to ensure the highest quality in all our products by paying attention to the conditions that we control, which include:

*the quality of the green beans sourced,
*the freshness and roasting profile of our beans,
*the brewing methods chosen,
*the information we share to the public, and
*the experience of excellent service to each customer.

Overall we strive to change the relationship that Cape Codders and our visitors have towards coffee.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We have a custom-built Diedrich 5K roaster that has arrived, and a Nuova Simonelli Black Eagle 2-group espresso machine (arriving as soon as our plumbing is done). We will have a pour-over bar as well as FETCO brewers.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We are hoping for the last week of August. [Editors note: Check their Instagram for the latest!]

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

Yes, we have been greatly served by Cape Design Build, our lead contractor. Wes brings so much positive energy and creativity into every minute of his work, and he has helped make this project as affordable as possible without compromising on quality. He found us the 200-year-old barn wood from a barn taken down in our neighboring town. He also found beautiful ipe wood that would have gone to waste from another project he completed. We can’t thank this guy, and his crew, enough.

David Karam—owner of Wanderlust Guesthouse—has literally volunteered endless hours of his time and energy into the project. From drawing up plans to driving us to NYC to find bargains on used restaurant equipment, David’s involvement has been instrumental. He is grounded in his local community and operates from 100% love and dedication to making this world and our community a better place.

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