I step off the subway at 7th Avenue in the hustle and bustle of time square and hop on a Citibike. A pleasant 7 minute ride later, I’m on the corner of 53rd street and 11th Ave in an area you are more likely to find a horse walking by than any tourist shops or character photo ops. Afficionado Coffee Roaster’s flagship cafe sits on the corner, with outdoor seating nestled between plants reminiscent of the coffees’ origins, overlooking the public park across the street. Inside paintings, traditional handicrafts and photographs serve as a travel log of each coffee trip Co-founder Adam Bossie makes to meet with producers. The New Jersey-based roastery, which buys directly from growers in over 10 countries, visits the farms regularly to connect and learn from those who start this journey– from soil to bean to roastery and finally, masterfully poured into my cup. I’ve sat down in a cozy corner to learn the stories in the decor.

Rwanda

The team flew out to the coffee-producing Lake Kivu region in the west of Rwanda to visit the farm where we source our Ngoma beans. The trip wrapped up in the capitol of Kigali staying with producer Emmanuel “Emma” Rusatira and wife Christine. Upon expressing an admiration for the colorful kitenge cloth fabric shirts we saw folks wearing, Christine brought us to Kimironko Market so we could get a closer look at the fabrics and handicrafts. 

 

Needless to say, the team came home with several handmade shirts as well as this mask, drum, basket, and wallhangings. The basket and wallhangings are made of native grasses wrapped with sisal fiber- a cousin of agave. Spot them on the top shelf of the display of coffee beans. 

Brazil

We were first introduced to these handmade terracotta water filters in Brazil around 2017 when visiting producer Luiz Paulo Dias Pereira. On some of our earlier trips, before they built out their state of the art cupping facilities, São João filters were used to purify and dechlorinate water for cupping coffee. This São João filter jug is how we serve our tap water so you visit and try it for yourself! 

Guatemala

On many of our trips to Guatemala to visit the Coto family’s network of farms and mills, we often fly over or stop by Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage site for it’s distinctive architecture. Adam bought this painting at the Mercado de Artesanias in 2011 and has hung in the coffee shop since opening. We love this piece because it reminds us of those trips with it’s colorful linear streets and Volcán de Agua presiding over the city majestically. Guatemala’s fertile volcanic soils are key to their sweet, well-balanced coffee. 

Each of our origin trips is a way to check-in with producers, see what’s developing at the farms & in the farming communities, and to experience the unique culture. Ramping up for 2025, we have a few trips in the works and are eyeing expanding our footprint in the city. We’d love to hear from our loyal customers about which pieces they love most! As we grow and evolve, we’ll surely continue bringing back interesting pieces to make a cozy atmosphere and treat each coffee experience in our shop as a way to open a portal to the coffee’s homeland.