Golden Pine Coffee Roasters owner Ryan Wanner has been working in coffee since the ’90s, and his new roastery in Black Forest is using what he knows to build a local spot from the grounds up.
Golden Pine Coffee is a spinoff of the restaurant R&R Coffee in Black Forest, but after R&R’s closure, Wanner wanted to get back to what really mattered: the coffee. But it wasn’t easy.
Wanner has been battling needed renovations in the new building for nearly two years. He said that if his pursuit was purely business driven, he would have walked by now. But he speaks to something more important than just his business.
“Its all about passion for this coffee and passion for this community,” Wanner says.
Building a community based around resilience and helping your neighbor are values that surface while talking to Wanner. While he only has a roaster open right now, when the coffee bar opens, Wanner plans to sell local goods in house, from pastries to candles. He aims to avoid corporate offerings.
“It’s not us versus us — it’s us versus Starbucks,” says Wanner of local businesses.
Wanner’s favorite coffees currently are his espresso blend which he has used for 17 years and his Forest Mist blend, which he described as “the coffee drinkers’ coffee.”
Other than the classic cups, Wanner tries to cycle through the available blends, encouraging people to “explore coffee.”
On top of trying to reinforce commerce in the Black Forest community, Wanner works with select importers to make sure his internationally sourced beans are from an ethical source.
“I need to know there were boots on the ground working with the farmers,” he says.
Wanner says he never lost his love for the coffee and the community, even after the change of scenery. Despite some setbacks in recent years, he looks forward to walking into the store everyday.
Golden Pine Coffee is open Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Golden Pine Coffee Roasters is located at 12470 Black Forest Road
Instagram: @gpr.coffee
Facebook: @gpr.coffee
