Jump to content

Draft:Simple Roast

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simple Roast
Company typePrivate
Founded2016
Owner
  • Matt Pierson
Websitewww.simpleroastcoffee.com

Simple Roast is a coffee company primarily located in Auburn, NY. The company has three locations, two of which are drive-through only and the other of which is a sit-down cafe and bar. Simple Roast serves a variety of espresso and non-espresso beverages, as well as an assortment of pastries and bites.[1]

Founding

[edit]

Simple Roast was founded by Matt Pierson in 2016. Pierson originally began his career working for an insurance company after graduating from SUNY Oswego’s business program.[2] In his spare time, he developed an affinity for roasting coffee and, in 2013, began to sell his homemade coffee at the Fayetteville Farmers Market. Peirson continued to expand his passion project while still working his full-time job, in the meantime, his coffee’s popularity continued to grow alongside him.[3] In 2016, Peirson quit his full-time job, purchasing a drive-through kiosk that had gone on sale in Auburn, NY. Over the course of three months, the kiosk was renovated, becoming Simple Roast’s first open location.[4]

Locations

[edit]

East Hut

[edit]

Simple Roast’s first shop is located at 360 Grant Avenue, Auburn, NY 13021 within the Auburn Plaza Parking lot. The coffee shop, which was previously a drive-through kiosk, was purchased, renovated, and opened in 2016.[4] The hut is a two-sided drive-through-only shop, forming two separate lines along either side of the building where opposing windows are located. This location in particular is more commonly referred to as the “East Hut” due to the building’s hut shape and its positioning West of the second Simple Roast location.

West Hut

[edit]

Simple Roast’s second shop is located at 321 Genessee Street, Auburn, NY 13021 within the parking lot of Grant Ave Plaza. The second lot was purchased in November 2018 and opened in March 2019. [3] The hut is a two-sided drive-through-only coffee shop as well, with two separate car lanes in the same manner as the previous hut. The second location is referred to as the “West Hut” due to its same hut shape as the West Hut and its positioning East of the first Simple Roast location.

Roast and Toast

[edit]

Simple Roast’s third location, which operates as a sit-down cafe and bar, is situated at 99 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021. They had their grand opening in April 2024.[5] Unlike the other two locations, Roast and Toast does not offer drive-through. Their hours and menu differ as well, as this location also turns into a bar in the evening.

[edit]

Simple Roast’s menu features a variety of food and drinks. All of Simple Roast’s locations sell a combination of hot, iced, and frozen drinks. Their menu includes an array of coffees and espresso drinks: lattes, mocha, americano, breve, red eye, and cafe au lait. While the company is most well-known for its various coffees, it also carries chai, fizzes, hot chocolate, various teas, and smoothies, many of which can either be “electrified” or frozen. On top of the expansive list of drinks, Simple Roast also serves monthly specials, which consist of a combination of flavors that can be added to the customer’s drink of choice. These specials often consist of seasonal flavors that are not available at other points in the year. The flavor specials usually consist of four to five different options except for August where Simple Roast hosts a flavor challenge. The challenge consists of 20 unique flavors for participants to try. After completion, the customer is entered into a gift card raffle and given a piece of simple roast merchandise.[1]

Aside from drinks, Simple Roast does sell food items. At the two huts, pastries and snacks provided in partnership with Skaneateles Bakery are sold. Simple Roast’s third location, Roast and Toast, offers a wider variety of food options. As the naming suggests the several different types of toast dishes are a prominent piece of their food menu. The cafe does serve bowls, sandwiches, and desserts as well. After 5pm on the weekends, Roast and Toast doubles as a bar. Their menu consists of an extensive list of cocktails, mocktails, beers, and wine. Special significance is drawn to their specialty coffee cocktails, which utilize their freshly in-house roasted coffee beans.[1]

Partnerships

[edit]

Outside of the three main locations, Simple Roast products can be found elsewhere across the Upstate and Central New York area. The following stores and shops serve coffee brewed from roasted coffee beans purchased from Simple Roast: Inns of Aurora, Skaneateles Bakery, 20 East Market, Cafe 108, Syracuse Cooperative Market - Westcott, Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing, Green Planet Grocery, Syracuse Cooperative Market - Downtown, Prison City Brewing, A.T. Walley & Co., and Cafe Bee You.[1] Furthermore, Simple Roast also takes the opportunity to partner with different charity organizations during specific months, donating a portion of their profits. In June 2024 they partnered with the QCenter and in July 2024 the SPCA, raising money and collecting donations.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e Simple Roast Coffee. (n.d.). Simple Roast Coffee. https://www.simpleroastcoffee.com/
  2. ^ We love when our Oswego Alumni tell their story!  Hear from Matt. . . (n.d.). https://www.facebook.com/SUNYOswego/videos/we-love-when-our-oswego-alumni-tell-their-storyhear-from-matt-peirson-09-founder/859472374940366/?_rdr
  3. ^ a b Report, S. (2024, January 21). Simple Roast Coffee Co. to open a unique café and cocktail bar in Auburn. Fingerlakes1.com. https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2024/01/20/simple-roast-coffee-co-to-open-unique-cafe-and-cocktail-bar-in-auburn/#google_vignette
  4. ^ a b Simple Roast Coffee Company | Inns of Aurora. (2024, February 20). Inns of Aurora. https://www.innsofaurora.com/simple-roast-coffee-company/#:~:text=We%20checked%20in%20with%20owner,a%20simple%20kind%20of%20man
  5. ^ Report, S. (2024, January 21). Simple Roast Coffee Co. to open a unique café and cocktail bar in Auburn. Fingerlakes1.com. https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2024/01/20/simple-roast-coffee-co-to-open-unique-cafe-and-cocktail-bar-in-auburn/#google_vignette