Triple grande iced almond milk latte? Venti vanilla cold brew? Dopio compana?
No matter how you take your coffee, we can all agree that International Coffee Day is something worth celebrating!
We sat down with one of our favorite local coffee roasters, right here in Wylie, TX, to learn more about what’s being roasted here in town and what they’re doing to celebrate this special holiday. Find out how you can snag yourself a free cup of coffee today!
Without further ado, meet Jackie Kinsey, Owner and Head Roaster at Ferris Wheel Coffee Co.
How long have you been in business? How did you get started?
The first time I roasted coffee was in 2019 after I had stumbled across an article that talked about roasting coffee at home using a hot air popcorn popper. After a little more research, I ordered a “starter pack” that consisted of a red popcorn popper and 4 lbs of coffee.
After a few months with the small popcorn popper, I upgraded to a slightly larger stove-top option. This allowed me to control both the air and heat throughout the roast.
I would roast for myself and occasionally give some away to close friends and family. In April 2020, my husband and I, along with a few close friends invested in a 1kg electric roasted and started Ferris Wheel Coffee Co.
We continued to work out of our home, selling our coffee at farmers markets and through our online shop until summer 2021, when we moved into our commercial space in Wylie.
Why coffee? What motivated you to open a coffee roastery?
I have always loved coffee, but never knew much about it. Before becoming a coffee roaster, I worked in special education for 15 years. Like most, I consumed my fair share of caffeinated beverages at local cafes, and eventually found myself trying the bagged coffee I saw on the shelves.
Once I found specialty coffee, I never looked at coffee the same way. I would look forward to my morning cup, made with my French press and sip on it all the way to work.
The more I learned about the coffee industry, the more I wanted to know. Through trial and error, I gained a better understanding about the roasting process. Before long, I knew I wanted to turn this passion into a business that would help other people to truly enjoy a better cup of coffee.
What is your favorite coffee drink?
It depends on the time of day! Most mornings, I drink black coffee. In the afternoon, I enjoy an iced cold-brew with oat milk and one pump of our house syrup.
If I’m on the road, or away from our shop, then I will most likely order a plain ol’ latte.
It’s almost fall, do you have any specialty fall flavors on the menu?
We make delicious cold-brew at our shop and serve it over ice. Every week we make fresh syrups, and we just released our Sweet Pumpkin Spice.
Next month we will release our fan favorite Holiday Blend with notes of chocolate covered cherries!
What is your favorite part about being a small business owner?
We have absolutely loved meeting people in our community! There are so many coffee enthusiasts who have stopped by our shop to talk about coffee with us, and we have enjoyed discovering all the ways people brew this unique beverage.
Each of these connections helps make us better and more knowledgeable.
Tell us one of your favorite stories involving coffee
About one week before the pandemic closed everything down, we were fortunate enough to visit Hawaii for a family vacation. While visiting the main island, we stopped by two coffee farms for tours. Each one was informative and fun with all the coffee you could drink.
At one small farm, we were able to see the roaster they had been using since 1960! The current roaster told us he learned the trade from his father, and primarily uses his intuition and senses to roast their batches.
It was wonderful to see the operation at the farm where they grow Kona coffee!
Is your team doing anything special to celebrate National Coffee Day?
Yes! We will be giving away free coffee in our shop!
I encourage everyone to follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter at our website www.ferriswheelcoffee.com for more information about this upcoming promotion!
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