It is a weekly, if not daily, occurrence that a neighbor hood local wanders into our Brown and Jenkins coffee roaster, across the way from Boyden Valley Farm and Winery, and tells me they've been meaning to stop in and figure out exactly who we are and what we do. Here's a brief run down of what I tell our curious coffee customers.
How our Coffee Community Started
I'm Sandy Riggen and my husband Rich and I purchased the Brown and Jenkins business about 5 years ago. At that time it was still operating out of a warehouse in Burlington. It is a 25 year old business started by Ken Brown and Carol Jenkins that originally served as a print catalogue business selling coffee related supplies.
Rich and I lived in Manchester for many years. He worked as a boat captain, and I was a professional caterer. Over time my three children grew up and they all moved toward the Burlington area which drew me in that direction.
As I considered moving the coffee roastery to the next level of operation by enhancing our online coffee business, I also decided it was time for change in location. Cambridge offered the ideal location for a roasting facility. The other thing I noticed was the need for a community gathering place akin to the neighbor hood diner or café of my child hood.
The Coffee Connection
Today, Brown and Jenkins has a three fold purpose:
- We roast and ship fresh coffee beans to clients around the nation and beyond via our website and coffee club
- We provide fresh roasted coffee beans to local individuals and businesses, and
- We offer a coffee community connection where neighbors meet to chat, access the internet, and meet others
Stop by any day of the week and you are likely to find folks working on their laptops, sharing a cup of coffee with a new or old friend, or just enjoying our view of the Green Mountains. Come see how the coffee connection works in your community!
Until our next cup,Sandy Riggen
