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Rock City Coffee - We Need a New Roaster!

Help Rock City buy a new smokeless coffee roaster.

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Rock City Coffee - We Need a New Roaster!

Rock City Coffee - We Need a New Roaster!

Rock City Coffee - We Need a New Roaster!

Rock City Coffee - We Need a New Roaster!

Rock City Coffee - We Need a New Roaster!

Help Rock City buy a new smokeless coffee roaster.

Help Rock City buy a new smokeless coffee roaster.

Help Rock City buy a new smokeless coffee roaster.

Help Rock City buy a new smokeless coffee roaster.

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1 Campaign |
Rockland, United States
$22,495 USD 290 backers
28% of $80,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal


Rock City Coffee Roasters is a micro-roastery in Rockland, Maine, a small coastal town about 90 miles north of Portland. It evolved from Second Read Books & Coffee, which began life as the first coffeehouse/bookstore in Maine in 1992, and eventually became Rock City Cafe. In 1992, Rockland was a down-on-its-luck town with boarded up storefronts and a marginalized fishing industry. The new coffeehouse/bookstore quickly became a leader in the renaissance of Rockland’s downtown: a meeting place, a performance space, a place to eat and to drink great coffee, as well as buy books. Today Second Read has evolved into Rock City Cafe and is still in the heart of the historic district and is the hub of the town. 

                                                                                                                                     

The establishment of Rock City Coffee Roasters in 1999 was a natural outgrowth of the business. Owners Susanne Ward and Patrick Reilley bought a beautiful small brick building just south of the historic district and began roasting, using a traditional drum roaster. 

For several years Rock City Coffee Roasters operated happily in its location, roasting coffee for its own small coffee bar and for the mothership Rock City Cafe, as well as for an increasing number of wholesale accounts. As the business grew, the area around the Roastery changed. In addition to some new faces in the neighborhood, a five-story hotel is being built next door to the Roastery. It is set to open in early 2016. With concerns about the smell of roasting coffee and the smoke released from our stack, we have no choice but to change the way we roast.

A Change Is Needed

Watching Rockland redefine itself has been a joy in so many ways. Unfortunately, the changes have made it impossible for us to continue roasting on a traditional drum roaster. 

Even though our present roaster is adequate for our needs, we have only one solution that will allow us to move forward and still be a player in downtown Rockland. 

That’s why we’re reaching out to the community, our friends, and families to help us raise money to purchase a new roaster that will eliminate 100% of the smoke, chaff, and odor from our production.

The Loring Smart Roaster

The Loring Smart Roaster is a 15-kilo closed-system air roaster that uses a single burner to roast the beans while simultaneously incinerating the smoke and chaff that traditional roasters release into the atmosphere. Although an afterburner can reduce the amount of output, it uses up to 400% more gas than just roasting alone and does not completely destroy the smell and smoke from the process. The Loring Smart Roaster is the greenest roaster on the market and uses 30% less energy than a traditional drum roaster, while exhausting only clean hot air.

Not only will the Loring help us become a more eco-friendly operation, it also consistently roasts an excellent cup of coffee and will allow us to replicate our existing signature roasts.

The new technology provided by the Loring Smart Roaster is the only option that completely solves our problem, allowing us to remain in the downtown neighborhood and keep on good terms with our neighbors and City. However, it is an expensive option. The roaster suitable for our business is $79,000. Shipping from the West Coast manufacturer will cost approximately $3500. We will need to make structural changes to the building to accommodate the new roaster, and we’ll need to be closed for several days. This brings our total investment up to $100,000. We have saved $20,000 towards it. But we need your support—our loyal customers and friends and anyone else who thinks this is a worthwhile cause—to help us reach our target goal of $80,000 so we can continue to roast fine coffee in our town.

Changes in the Rock City Family

After the death of her partner in 2010, owner Susanne Ward began developing a plan to ready the business for her eventual retirement. Her primary goal has been to keep the Roastery and the Cafe in the hands of the staff, who have made the business so vital to our town. With the help of the Cooperative Development Institute, we are making that a reality by transitioning from a single-owner corporation to an employee-owned co-op of more than 20 people. The purchase of a new roaster is the first hurdle this young co-op faces. We hope you will help support this transition by donating to our campaign to buy the Loring Smart Roaster. And please pass the information along to your family and friends. 

Thanks very much from all of us at Rock City.


*Video and photos by Jesse Stuart, music by Dave Butler and Christian Willey.

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Choose your Perk

High-Five for Five Bucks

$5 USD
A big thank you and an even bigger High Five. We really appreciate it!
5 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Free Drink Card & Sticker

$10 USD
With a $10.00 donation, you'll get a Free Drink Card (nonalcoholic) and our fabulous Must.Have.Coffee. bumper sticker.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
23 claimed
Ships to United States of America

3 Drink Cards & Bumper Sticker

$25 USD
For a $25 donation, we'll give you Three Drink Cards, plus a Must.Have.Coffee. bumper sticker. Sorry, no alcoholic drinks included. It's the law...
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
49 claimed
Ships to United States of America

3 Free Drinks and Mug

$50 USD
For a $50 donation, you'll get a 3 Free Drink Cards (non alcoholic), our Mason Jar Logo Mug, and a Must.Have.Coffee. bumper sticker.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
39 claimed
Ships to United States of America

Bag of Coffee & Mason Jar Mug

$100 USD
With a $100 donation you will receive a 12-oz bag of our Debut Roast from the new roaster and our Mason Jar Logo Mug.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
26 claimed
Ships to United States of America

T-shirt & Mason Jar Mug

$100 USD
With a $100 donation, you will receive our Goodbye Ol' Smokey T-shirt and a Mason Jar Logo Mug.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
6 claimed
Ships to United States of America

Beans, T-Shirt, Stainless Mug

$250 USD
For a $250 donation, you'll receive a 12-oz bag of our Debut Roast from the new roaster, a Goodbye Ol' Smokey T-shirt, and a double-walled Stainless Logo Mug.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
11 claimed
Ships to United States of America

Cupping Party & Plaque

$500 USD
For a $500 donation, you'll be invited to cup coffee with us from our new roaster, and your name will be on a commemorative plaque displayed in our Roastery.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
1 out of 24 of claimed
Ships to United States of America

Your Name on a Plaque & Beans

$500 USD
Can't make it to the Cupping Party? Is it sold out? For a $500 donation, you'll get your name on a commemorative plaque displayed in the Roastery, plus a 12-oz bag of our Debut Roast to host your own cupping party.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
0 claimed
Ships to United States of America

Your Signature Roast

$1,000 USD
For a $1000 donation, you will work with our roasters from inception to naming a signature roast that has a chance of becoming a Rock City staple.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
3 out of 6 of claimed
Ships to United States of America

Coffee Club & Plaque

$1,000 USD
For $1000, you'll receive a 12-oz bag of coffee once a month for a year, as well as your name on our commemorative plaque in the roastery.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
0 claimed
Ships to United States of America

The Full Monty

$10,000 USD
For $10,000, you get everything. And our undying gratitude.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
0 out of 8 of claimed
Ships to United States of America

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