Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Bussemey and Tosca Cesaretti. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Tosca and Misha are the owners and roasters of Springtown Roasters, women coffee roasters bringing a wide variety of coffees to you from around the world. Tosca’s love of coffee originated at a very young age from her Italian papa and his daily espresso. Misha got hooked later in life while working on her Master’s degree in Environmental Geography. We both graduated from Texas State University with geography degrees, and what better way to finally put them to use…in coffee! We had both reached a time in our lives where we realized we wanted to work for ourselves and make a positive impact in our community. Tosca had been roasting coffee for about six months and thought we would be able to make a business out of creating our own coffee roasting company. We analyzed the numbers, researched roasting machines, and concluded we would make the leap and start our own business!
We decided before we even began selling our coffee that we would donate part of our proceeds back to local organizations that help the people and environment of our area. We feel very strongly about giving back to our community, completing the circle of the women coffee producers who also work together to give back to their communities.
We owe our success to our dedication to always improving our roasting techniques, to our customers who love our coffee, to the very supportive coffee roasting community, and knowing how much of a difference freshly roasted coffee can make globally.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every day is a challenge. Roasting coffee is a science, and the roasting machine can be a bit daunting. We had to learn about airflow, positive pressure systems, thermodynamics, small machine repair, and venting maintenance. We also had to figure out the logistics of buying green coffee beans, how to move thousands of pounds of coffee around, and how to have enough room to store the 150lb bags of beans. Then there is the whole marketing aspect, online presence, social media, accounting, and office management that is continual. Over the years, these process have become second nature to us, allowing us to fine-tune our coffee roasting and expand our products. Despite the struggles, we gained new insights and grew tremendously while we worked through our difficulties, And it sure does help having a great cup of coffee nearby!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Springtown Roasters?
We are a small-batch specialty coffee roasting company located in the hills outside of San Marcos, Texas. We focus on offering you the freshest roasted coffee ethically sourced from women coffee producers as well as certified Organic and Fair Trade coffees. We donate part of our proceeds to local non-profit organizations that are helping people and the environment in Texas. We are known for having delicious coffee that “doesn’t need any cream or sugar!” We are becoming famous for our signature drink – Springtown Roaster’s Coffee Soda – which is taking Central Texas by storm.
As women roasters, we are very interested in promoting and supporting the hard work done by women coffee growers around the world. Women Producer coffees raise awareness of gender inequity and inequality issues in coffee-producing countries. By separating out women’s lots and supporting women-owned farms, women growers are financially empowered through sourcing and sales efforts. We source coffees through our importers from women in associations and cooperatives, with the women receiving a gender-equity premium pay on top of the quality-based initial price of their coffee. By sourcing coffees grown by women producers in this way, we seek to financially empower them within their families, communities, and within the industry. We hope to make positive strides toward increasing women’s visibility within the supply chain. We encourage folks to look into their cup to learn about where coffee comes from and the hard work the farmers put into their crops.
You can find us every weekend at the Lockhart Farmers Market on Saturdays and the Buda Famers Market on Sundays, where you can taste and buy our coffee or try our Coffee Soda! We enjoy turning people on to new coffees that they might not have heard of or had an opportunity to try. So come see us and let’s talk about how much coffee matters!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is seeing a smile on someone’s face when they drink our coffee. Success is seeing customers come back week after week stocking up on our coffee. Success is knowing that our numbers keep growing year after year, with no debt since we pay in full as we go. Coffee brings people together, it is the spark of a conversation and ideas. We love roasting coffee that motivates people throughout their day.
Pricing:
- 120z bag – Medium or Dark roast $15
- Coffee Soap $5
Contact Info:
- Email: thebean@springtownroasters.com
- Website: https://springtownroasters.com/
- Instagram: springtownroasters
- Facebook: springtownroasters
Image Credits:
Michelle Bussemey, Tosca Cesaretti
