A relatively new roastery business called Plume Coffee & Roastery will be partaking in a pop-up event on Saturday, September 10 at Undergrounds Café in the Old First Ward. If you haven’t heard about Plume, it is being hailed as another stepping stone in this city’s advancement towards achieving home brewed coffee bliss.
Plume Coffee & Roastery is the brainchild of five Buffalo guys who wanted to take local roasting to the next level. I met up with one of the partners, Jesse Crouse (owner of Tipico Coffee), to discuss the new coffee culture revelations. He told me that the stars were aligned for this project, due primarily to the return of a practiced coffee roaster by the name of Alan Hayes (repat from Massachusetts). Alan brought his equipment and his skills to The Foundry on the city’s East Side. It just so happens that Alan’s brother, Kevin Hayes, manages ReUse Action at The Foundry (Action HQ and The Guild @ 980). The roastery turned out to be a great fit with the operational direction of the building, which plays host to small/emerging entrepreneurs and businesses (see here).
The Plume team is rounded out by Frits Abel, Joerg Dressler and David Kraus. “Each team member has a distinct role in the operation,” said Jesse (inset left). “We also all have 9-5 jobs. The roastery took form six months ago – I was brought on board two months ago. We consider this micro roaster a social venture. Buffalo has some catching up to do when it comes to its coffee offerings – Public Espresso + Coffee is doing its part, and I feel that I’m doing my part with Tipico. There are some other signs of advancements, but it’s not nearly enough. The major roasters that we have in Buffalo are commercial grade. It’s economical lower grade coffee with no trace-ability or transparency. These roasters typically short the farmers and the environment. The consumer is not going to get what they are paying for. We’re here to change that.”
According to Jesse, the current order of business is to grow their business-to-business model. Eventually, the team would like to open a retail presence, but for now it is important to build up the name and their presence at select coffee shops and markets in Buffalo. Currently, Plume is selling to accounts that include Pasión, Ashker’s, Inn Buffalo, the Darwin Martin House and Buffalo Rome. They are also going to be rolling out their mail order and subscription services in the near future.
In order to increase their brand recognition at local coffee establishments, Plume is in the process of setting up a number of pop-up and take-over events. One of their first was events was held at Washington Market (a full coffee takeover). This coming Saturday, the roasters are hosting an open air roasting at Undergrounds Coffee (between 1pm and 3pm). “We want to introduce our coffee to as many people as we can, from beginners to experts,” said Jesse. “We intend to make our specialty coffee approachable for everyone, per quality and price. Buffalo has been subjected to too many formulaic businesses, and is now starting to benefit from a growing trend of micro culture offerings, with beer, spirits, food and now coffee. We’re brewing a flagship coffee – Big Tree Espresso Blend – and single origin coffees using the beans from farmers that I have built relationships with during my travels. We care about the farmers, the environment and Buffalo. Partial proceeds of sales are directed to local non-profits.”
A brand new world of locally roasted micro coffee has arrived in Buffalo. Its name is Plume, and the creators behind the initiative want everyone to jump onboard. Feel free to stop by the open air roasting at Undergrounds this Saturday, sample some free coffee, and take home a free three ounce sample. You can also witness some cool demonstrations at one of the hippest new coffee shops in town.
If you’re a business owner that is interested in setting up an account with Plume, you can email the team at plume@plumecoffee.com.
Plume Coffee | 980 Northampton Street | Buffalo NY | Facebook