Coffee shops come and go, but Hartford? They’re only in Build-Outs once, maybe twice in a lifetime. Mallrats references aside, we don’t get too much hot, hot coffee news coming out of Connecticut over here at Sprudge, which makes sense—it is the third smallest state in the Union after all (shout out to Delaware and Rhode Island). But that’s why we are over the moon about the just-opened Story and Soil Coffee in Hartford, Connecticut.
A multi-roaster cafe, Story and Soil is serving up some of Connecticut’s best monosyllabic roasters Giv and Neat to the capital city. With equipment including a La Marzocco Strada and a couple of Mahlkönig EK-43s, the brand new cafe is providing a lifted coffee experience to the otherwise underserved city of Hartford. So yeah, there’s definitely some cool coffee news happening in the Land of Steady Habits. You just have to keep your ear to the ground: it’s Soil and Story Coffee in Hartford, Connecticut.
As told to Sprudge by Sarah McCoy.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
We are a multi-roaster specialty shop located in the Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford, CT.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
We have 484-square-feet of space with high ceilings, lots of plants, and a lavender wall. Our bar is fronted with a concrete material with a quartz top. Along the lavender wall is a floral wallpaper all three owners fell in love with. We have a lot of blues and purples in our space. Our window bar is made from floor joists that we suspect are about 127 years old (original to the building itself). Our lighting is combination of bare Edison bulbs, sconces, and a large fixture with 25 bulbs in the back of our space.
What’s your approach to coffee?
It starts with how we select our coffees. We have chosen lively, complex, sweet, clean coffees from roasters who’s relationships we value. Seasonality is critical as we want to communicate how coffee works from the bean to the cup. We are using all single origin coffees, brewed differently with a mindfulness of the best extraction for each roast. Approachability and hospitality is vital to our business structure as Hartford is fairly new to a specialty scene. We want to educate customers and share our love of sustainable, traceable coffees without a drop of pretension. This translates to our words but also how we present each item. As far as our menu goes, creative cocktail-inspired approaches lets us get our customers excited for something they’ve never seen before.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
La Marzocco Strada AV, two Mahlkönig EK43 grinders, Mazzer Robur, Pullman tamper, baskets, and chisel, FETCO batch brewer, Acaia scales, ACME ceramics.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
We opened last week! July 27 was our first day.
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
Hartford Prints—logo
Hartford Denim—aprons
MeB Architects
Patrick Carroll Designs—tap handles, outdoor signage, mason jars
A Great Impression—vinyl signs
Sarah McCoy Photography
Paul’s Home Improvement—contractor
Thank you!
Thank YOU.
Story and Soil Coffee Company is located at 387 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT. Check out their official website and find them on Facebook and Instagram.
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