When Chip Grabow opened Radio Roasters Coffee in 2014, his mission was simple: become the great neighborhood coffee roaster. Although Grabow has been working in the news industry for most of his life, when he moved to Decatur, he felt inspired to upscale his small home roastery into a business that would bring him closer to the customer experience to help each individual find the most satisfying coffee to fit their needs. Today, the shop roasts around 2,000 pounds of beans weekly to deliver specialty coffee in-house and to local businesses. Radio Roasters also never settles when it comes to finding great blends; the company constantly brings in interesting samples from around the world, including countries like Guatemala, Columbia, and Ethiopia, to roast and assess which ones customers would enjoy the most.
The roastery features a “Full Spectrum” line, enhancing Radio Roaster’s regular coffees and highlighting the coffee's unique processing method. San Mateo Yoloxochitlán, a blend from Mexico, is processed through a double fermented technique, which changes the flavor profile to include strong notes of peach, plum, and a honey-like sweetness. Coffee enthusiasts looking to sample some of these specialty brews can be on the lookout on Radio Roaster’s Instagram page or mailing list for updates on the roastery's Saturday cuppings, which invite the local community to taste different coffee offerings–sometimes based on a specific theme–while gaining a better understanding of distinct processing methods. Looking ahead, Grabow is prioritizing Radio Roasters’ streak of success as an excellent boutique coffee shop by continuing to provide the community with the best specialty coffee available.
"We are focused on the quality and diversity of flavors to help people make new coffee discoveries."