On Saturday, October 1, Taylor Roasted CoffeeHouse held their grand re-opening after a year-long hiatus due to a vandal flooding the coffee shop with a garden hose. Although Taylor Roasted CoffeeHouse held their soft re-opening in July, September 21 marked 14 years of business for owners John Weber and Jackie Livermon.
On June 22, 2021, a homeless man took the high-flow hose from Northampton’s Uptown Park, turned it all the way on, and placed the hose directly into the coffee roaster vent on the side of the building. The hose had been running for six hours when Livermon arrived that morning to see the extensive damage.
Everything in the coffee shop’s basement, a large portion of the upstairs area, and the roaster was beyond repair.
Weber shared that it took a week to dry everything out, and by then, all of the shop’s equipment had rusted and their inventory had grown mold from the humidity, causing them to have to throw everything out.
Livermon and Weber expressed that it was an exhausting roller coaster to get everything back up and running but that the outpour of community support helped get them through it.
More than 14 years ago, Weber began roasting coffee on his back porch and in his garage in half-pound increments as a hobby and immersed himself in the environment, which fueled his passion for coffee.
“It started on that small roaster and giving somebody a half of a pound of coffee, and it spiraled into this!” Weber boasted.
Unfortunately, that roaster was also damaged by the water, but Weber kept it for sentimental value. Now, their new roaster is even bigger than the last one they had and can roast 20 pounds of coffee in a single batch. Weber plans to get into wholesale with the new roaster, which is the focal point of the coffee shop upstairs.
Although their untimely business closure from the water damage was disastrous, Weber and Livermon were able to grow their garden during the hiatus, which has allowed Livermon to expand the baked goods selection of the CoffeeHouse that sells out fast.
The CoffeeHouse has seen an influx of customers since they re-opened, and patrons seem to love Taylor Roasted CoffeeHouse’s lattes, cold-brew coffee, and blueberry muffins the most.
“We have been slammed, which I hope keeps up. It’s been amazing. We’re scrambling to keep up and we’re selling out of everything,” Weber expressed during their soft opening.
Weber shared that their closing was an eye-opening experience, but that there have been a lot of positives to their re-opening.
“I thought we had regulars, but I never knew how far it reached!” Weber said.
Taylor Roasted CoffeeHouse now offers shipping for their roasted and flavored coffee, as well as online ordering through their website, taylorroastedcoffeehouse.com.
Taylor Roasted CoffeeHouse is located at 1924 Main St. in Northampton and their fall hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. More information can be found on their Facebook page.
