Where It All Began
Hearth & Brew began not with a business plan, but with a cast-iron skillet and a dream. In 2014, founder Elara Vance started roasting small batches of green coffee beans in her apartment kitchen, sharing the results with neighbors who quickly became regulars. The aroma of freshly ground coffee and warm cardamom buns became a siren call for the building, transforming her home into an accidental, yet beloved, gathering spot.
The leap to our first brick-and-mortar location on Maple Street was terrifying and thrilling. We wanted to bottle that feeling of Elara's kitchen—the worn wooden counters, the mismatched ceramic mugs, the sense that you could linger for hours. We sourced reclaimed wood from a century-old barn for our bar top and hung pendant lights that mimic the soft glow of a fireplace.
Our philosophy extends far beyond the walls of our café. We forge direct, long-term relationships with small-lot farmers in Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Colombia, ensuring they are paid premiums well above Fair Trade standards. This commitment to ethical sourcing isn't just good business; it's the soul of our brew.