A Love Affair with Coffee

Our fascination with craft coffee began in the early 1990s. We tasted nearly everything that seemed remotely interesting -- some wonderful, some memorable for all the wrong reasons. Through it all, our curiosity grew, and eventually we began to wonder: What if we roasted our own?

It Started with a Popcorn Popper

Several years later, Deb met a retired couple traveling the country in a motorhome. They were roasting their own coffee in an old popcorn popper -- and the coffee was remarkably good.

The idea that great coffee could begin with something so simple was almost absurd. Until then, we assumed roasting required expensive equipment and years of expertise.

So we started looking. Within weeks, we found a nearly new vintage West Bend popcorn popper at a local thrift store. We bought green coffee, read everything we could find, and began experimenting.

We roasted light. We roasted dark. We roasted everything in between.

Some batches were wonderful. Some were decidedly not. But with every roast, we learned to pay attention -- to the aroma, the development of the bean, the body and the finish.

Eventually, we found a coffee we kept coming back to.

Papa’s Roast Classic.

The One We Kept Coming Back To

Classic began with a premium coffee grown in the mountains of South America and developed through fluid-bed roasting. Smooth and naturally sweet, with notes of vanilla, rich nuts and cocoa and a subtle hint of smoke, it became our daily coffee -- and soon, the favorite of our friends and family.

The requests kept coming.

At first, we dismissed the idea that this little experiment could become a business. But our faithful West Bend popper was working far beyond anything its designers had imagined, sometimes roasting for hours at a time.

Friends kept asking for more. Word spread. What began as a fascination with coffee had quietly become something much larger.

And eventually, the die was cast.

Papa’s Roast

Papa’s Roast officially began in August 2019 in Tillamook, Oregon, a small farming community on the northern Oregon coast.

There were plenty of hurdles in turning a homegrown passion into a roasting company, but one thing remained simple: People loved Classic. And so did we.

Today, we still approach coffee with the same curiosity that started it all—seeking great beans, carefully crafting the roast, and sharing what we discover along the way.

If you haven't experienced Classic, we hope you'll give it a try.

Smooth. Rich. Naturally sweet. Distinctive.

A coffee born from curiosity, refined through experimentation, and made to be enjoyed.

We'd be delighted and honored to have you join us on the journey.

Dean & Debbie Crist

Founders, Papa’s Roast