Texas Roaster Tips Its Hat to a Bold Cup of Joe!
Few things go together better than coffee and the holidays. A cup’s warmth and good cheer make the season special.
Even if you have picky people on your holiday shopping list, there is a good chance they love coffee. I can confidently say that about 150 million Americans are daily coffee drinkers — making coffee an easy and thoughtful gift to give.
I love supporting Texans, and I love coffee. I met Steve Turner this fall during a visit to Bryan, Tex. He is the Founder/Co-Owner of Polite Coffee Roasters. In addition to being a Head Roaster, Steve served with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
“Being away from home in Afghanistan made me realize how much I missed home,” Steve said. “Coming from a small Texas town, I started missing what makes Texas unique. I also loved coffee and realized I wanted to be a coffee roaster when I returned to Texas. I skipped the small home-size roaster and bought a professional coffee roaster even before I had a business.”
He continued: “The fantastic thing about coffee is that it’s the first thing many people enjoy each morning. The small, seemingly insignificant, day-to-day, friendly gestures we can easily take for granted connect us to the community.
“Customs and cultures may not look the same across different countries, but respect translates to any language. It took me being homesick halfway around the world to truly appreciate the value of genuine respect and kindness, which inspired our name: Polite Coffee Roasters.
“Our goal is to make friends and family in our community — and we do that through the medium of coffee.” Bryan, Texas, supports local. There is not a national chain coffee shop in the entire town.
The Kyle House in Bryan, Tex., is the home to Polite Coffee Roasters. Edwin Kyle was the namesake of Kyle Field and one of Bryan’s legendary historical figures at Texas A&M University. The Kyle House has since been reborn as a full-service coffee shop, roasting operation, and education on the production of coffee.
“The house is such a cool setting,” Steve said. “If you want to be hospitable and welcoming, what’s a better setting than to do it in an old house?”
I was in the coffee roasting area with Steve picking out my favorite coffee to take home when I noticed the message on the bottom of the bag. It said, “If there is only one thing you can do today, be polite.”
Steve laughed and said, “I can’t tell you how many people have told me they didn’t notice it until they put the bag in the trash.”
He continued:” I really, honestly believe in good coffee. Once you’ve had good coffee, you never want to go back to bad coffee.”
There is no better way to support your community than by shopping locally.
Since the global pandemic hit small businesses particularly hard, it’s worthwhile to invest in the small shops and cafes that keep our towns and neighborhoods active and economically viable.
Whether you’re looking for gifts for your colleagues or your favorite cousin, a gift card to a local coffee shop is more than just a stocking stuffer. It’s a way to give back after a tumultuous two years as we look toward better days.
Is Bryan too far for you to go to enjoy a cup of Joe?
You can support Steve and the staff at Polite Coffee by ordering a few bags for gift-giving (and a few for yourself) by mail order.
Learn more about Polite Coffee Roasters. For information about coffee subscriptions, CLICK HERE.
