On November 22, 1978, Danny O’Neill picked his first batch of coffee beans in the mountainous coffee-growing region around the Poás volcano while studying abroad in Costa Rica. Right then and there, he fell in love with the country, the people and the coffee — especially the coffee. Fifteen years later, when Danny founded The Roasterie in his basement in one of Kansas City's great neighborhoods, Brookside, it just made sense that he would partner directly with farmers and pay above-market values to get the best of the best coffee beans. Today, direct trade makes more sense than ever. The Roasterie still believes in partnering with farmers at origin, in mutually beneficial direct trade relationships — removing the middleman from the equation. By doing this, our farmers get much higher prices for their coffees than they would with other trade systems. One of the most renowned specialty coffee roasters in the nation, The Roasterie stands apart from other specialty and direct trade coffee companies. Nobody else does it like we do. We are committed to finding the best green coffee beans from around the world, for a fair price. Those beans are then roasted using a convection air-roasting method instead of the more traditional drum-roasting method, to ensure superior consistency and a tastier, smoother cup of coffee. Quality, freshness, education. That's what The Roasterie story is about. Try any of our coffees and you'll be able to taste and smell the difference our commitment makes. Public tours at The Roasterie Monday - Friday at 10:00 A.M. & 12:30 - Saturday at 8:30 A.M, 10 A.M., 11:30 A.M., 1 P.M. & 2:30 P.M. - Sunday at 10:30 A.M & 12:30 P.M. Tours are free but call 816-931-4000 to register so that we'll have enough coffee for you.