Since 2007, Recess Coffee has roasted coffee in Syracuse, where its custom production facility supplies three neighborhood cafés and wholesale partners. The company sources fairly traded beans directly from farms pursuing sustainable and ethical practices, then tests every batch for consistency. Recess also brings its trained baristas to weddings, office parties, and other events across the area.
Finger Lakes Coffee RoastersSince opening beside the Erie Canal in Bushnell’s Basin in 1996, Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters has turned carefully selected Arabica beans into craft-roasted coffee at its Victor, New York, facility. Owners and roastmasters Bob Cowdery and Larry Werges built the company around small-batch roasting, continual sample roasting and cupping, and freshness—an approach that has made its Canandaigua Blend and more than 100 other coffees familiar across the Finger Lakes and Western New York. The roastery is certified organic by NOFA-NY and offers Fair Trade Organic coffees while composting coffee grounds and reusing roasting chaff locally.VICTOR, NY
FoJo BeansBorn from two Dans’ shared coffee obsession, FoJo Beans has been small-batch roasting specialty coffee in Central New York since 2012, alongside its café and restaurant in downtown Hamilton. The veteran-owned, LGBTQ-certified company buys traceable coffees through importer relationships with growers and small co-ops, emphasizing fair trade and earth-friendly farming. FoJo Beans was named Chenango County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013.HAMILTON, NY
Homestead Coffee RoastersFrom a 19th-century barn beside Pennsylvania’s Tow Path and the Delaware River, Homestead Coffee Roasters has been sourcing and roasting coffee since 2006. Now a second-generation coffee roaster, the family-run company works exclusively with small farms and cooperatives, refining its coffees through careful tasting while using recyclable boxes and backyard-compostable bags. It also supports wholesale partners with equipment, training, and ongoing coffee-program guidance.UPPER BLACK EDDY, PA
Flux CoffeeFlux Coffee began in Berkeley in 2010 as a cold-brew company and now operates a cafe and roastery in Farmingdale, New York, where it roasts coffee weekly and brews each cup by hand. The company pairs ethical sourcing with an unusually transparent approach to coffee education, explaining its choices from farm through roasting and brew method while serving the local community and wholesale partners.FARMINGDALE, NY