The roast that brings in the customers

from Southwest Michigan's Second Wave
a feature story by Zinta Aistars

Thursday, December 02, 2010

"Every town needs a coffee shop to call their own and many Kalamazooans claim Water Street Coffee shop. Writer Zinta Aistars finds out about the roast that makes the sun rise at the city's most popular coffee joint."

From 1934 to 1985, the owner of the little red brick building on the side of the railroad tracks at 315 East Water Street pumped gasoline into the cars of Kalamazoo residents. In 1993, a bright blue sign with a rising sun advertised Water Street Coffee Joint, and the new owner of that little red brick building, Mark Smutek, began to pump steaming hot coffee into the residents of Kalamazoo.


Today, he and the baristas of Kalamazoo's best loved coffee shop are pumping coffee at a rate of 2,000 pounds of roasted beans per week, retail and wholesale.

Smutek and his staff of about 50 baristas, cooks and bean roasters fill Kalamazoo cups and mugs in what will soon be ....

FULL ARTICLE at SECOND WAVE.


Other articles by Zinta Aistars on Second Wave:

Growing the local economy with local food
http://swmichigan.secondwavemedia.com/features/markets1004.aspx

Gilmore biennial keeps Kalamazoo in tune with global vibes
http://swmichigan.secondwavemedia.com/features/gilmorefest0506.aspx

Tea shop owner reads a bright future in tea leaves
http://swmichigan.secondwavemedia.com/features/teashop0916.aspx

Dog mushing: It's not just a winter pastime
http://swmichigan.secondwavemedia.com/features/mush0520.aspx

Gallery taps into buy-local enthusiasm
http://swmichigan.secondwavemedia.com/features/newmidtown0408.aspx