The Roasterie
It’s hard to imagine this now when there are so many coffee shops that roast their own beans in the city, but almost 40 years ago, when The Roasterie opened, it was a unique offering.
The Roasterie has been a Kensington staple and a Calgary icon since 1985 for many reasons, and Roasterie owner Lech Wojakowski’s passion for coffee is just one of them. Wojakowski opened the quaint coffee shop after moving to Canada from Poland despite not having a background in coffee.
“All of social life centres around coffee in Western Europe. All I remember when being a kid was all the moms would meet for coffee, and for me, it was a trip to a place that smelled fantastic. I loved the smell,” Wojakowski says. “When I came to Canada, there wasn’t any good coffee. There was this brown liquid that you would get in truck stops and it was so terrible,” he says, adding a trip to Italy and a coffee from Rome shortly after he moved to Canada confirmed his assessment. “This is the liquid elixir of Gods,” he says rapturously about good coffee.
Fuelled by his passion for coffee and wanting to bring a taste of Italy’s coffee culture to Calgary, Wojakowski opened The Roasterie almost 40 years ago and learned to run a cafe, roast and source beans all at the same time.
Now he sources coffee from across the world. The shop usually offers over 40 different single-origin coffee beans, prioritizing quality and ethical sourcing in a vintage-inspired atmosphere.
“We don’t look for a deal. We look for the best coffee. So no matter what the price is, if it’s something that’s caught attention in the world. I want to get that. I want us to have it,” he says, adding competition winners are a big draw. “And beans that are sourced ethically, that’s important. We want to know where the money goes and that it’s going back into the community.”
Roasting the beans in-house allows the Roasterie to emphasize approachability. One of the best parts of the day for Wojakowski is introducing patrons to new flavours and tastes. “When a new coffee shipment comes in, I always get excited about the coffees that I haven’t tried before. That’s a treat for me. It’s like Christmas.” He notes The Roasterie will stick with those flavours for a month or two until the next shipment comes in. “And I know I’ll find something that I like, again, and better, there’s always better coffee coming in around the corner.”
Of course, the coffee is one reason patrons have been supporting The Roasterie over 39 years, but the popular shop is also beloved for its vibe, too. With a mix of vintage decor and ancient artifacts, the coffee shop has an eccentric ambience.
“I think what we have is a very relaxed atmosphere. We’re not over-designed. We’re very cluttered,” Wojakowski says. “I have a lot of antiques on the walls that I have collected over the years, like old coffee grinders and coffee tins. I call them barnacles. They just grow.”
The roaster, which you can see through a window from inside the shop, is also a big draw.
“People like to watch the process of roasting as the wheel turns and turns. It’s almost hypnotizing. Flame going on the side. Sometimes it gets smokey. There’s a whole atmosphere,” Wojakowski says, adding he believes it’s important to be approachable. The Roasterie carries five blends of regular brews on any given day. But Wojakowski notes as well that any of the beans on the shelf can be prepared in a matter of minutes with an Aeropress.
At The Roasterie, customers can customize their coffee orders and enjoy the roasting process. “A lot of people are coffee tourists, as I call them. They want to visit Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico,” Wojakowski says. “They’ll come in and they’ll point to a specific bean, and then we grind it up and make it for them right on the spot. There’s a little extra charge for it, but they actually get to experience all of the beans that we have here in the company. And then take a pound or whatever amount they want home.”
Wojakowski is planning a special 40th-anniversary celebration for The Roasterie next year that they can’t wait to share with the community and their patrons, so “stay tuned for those details,” he says.
314 10 St. N.W., roasterie.com
More Roasters
Calgary Heritage Roasting Company has one of our favourite origin stories, and the coffee is pretty great, too. Founded by Wildland Firefighters who honed their coffee-roasting skills on the fire line, Canadian Heritage Roasting Co. delivers organic coffees that strike the perfect balance between bold and easy drinking. Coincidentally, the co-founders, Jamie Parker and Mike Wenzlawe, are featured in the Top 40 Under 40 this month in our sister publication, Avenue. 2020 11 Street S.E., canadianheritageroastingco.com
Sought x Found Coffee Roasters is known for some of the most unique and expressive beans you can sharpen your taste buds on. This Crescent Heights gem is not just an amazing roaster but also has a pretty nice atmosphere inside to enjoy. 916 Centre Street N.E., soughtxfound.coffee
Kingdom Coffee Roasters’s origin story of loss and redemption has become a legacy that offers hope with a cup of coffee and conversation to the homeless every week. A portion of the proceeds from every bag sold goes to helping people get off the street and into recovery. 75 Skyline Crescent N.E., kingdomcoffee.ca
More Icons of Local Cafe Culture
Caffee Beano opened in 1990, and ever since, it has attracted artists, thinkers and those who want to linger over a mug of coffee or a ginger hot chocolate. Customers overflow onto the sidewalk benches outdoors on most days. 1613 9 St. S.W.
Higher Ground is a Kensington coffee institution. Opened in 1982, it is the city’s first independent coffee shop and it has persisted for good reason. This rustic second-floor shop is a favourite among patrons who want a cozy shop to connect with friends or work on their laptops — and the coffee and food are plentiful. 1126 Kensington Rd N.W., highergroundcafe.ca
