Hi, I’m Haley, the Kaldi’s Coffee Experience Leader. I am so excited to welcome you into our St. Louis Roastery to experience our Coffee Tour and Cupping. It’s your chance to see the passion behind the beloved coffee we serve.
Our tour and tasting is a full sensory experience. Usually the first thing we hear is, “Wow, it smells so good in here”. It’s not lost on us knowing how lucky we are to have this special experience every time we walk in the door, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Our tour gives you a deep dive into the how’s, the why’s, and everything you (maybe) didn’t know behind the cup you drink. You’ll learn more about the science, farmers, people, and decisions behind the coffee in your favorite bag. When you walk in, you’ll hear the roasters whirring, see the forklifts moving coffee, and witness our team members moving about just as we do any day. It’s a chance to experience a part of a much bigger story, one that starts long before it reaches the cafe or grocery shelves.
We welcome you into our space and meet the people behind our coffee.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ON OUR COFFEE TOUR
Seed to Cup
Often surprising people from the start, we start with a simple idea: coffee is the seed of a fruit. It is hand-picked and cared for long before it reaches us.
From there, we walk through the journey of how coffee is sourced, roasted and tasted while bringing some of our core values to life along the way: continual improvement, passion, and humility.
Coffee Cupping
The Cupping Room is often referred to as the heartbeat of our roastery, our North Star. It’s cozy, it’s serious (but not too serious) and it’s where we taste coffee every day.
Familiar favorites like Café Kaldi and 700 are checked for consistency and new coffees (and brew methods) are discovered in this sacred space.
Coffee Roasting
Our coffee is roasted on one of three vintage Probat machines, chosen for their ability to produce balance and sweetness. Our roasters are proudly showcased and visible through the glass walls as you enter our roasting facility. They are our coveted workhorses.
While technology helps our team monitor the process, every roast is still guided by hand before quickly sent out fresh to our cafes and partners.
Connection
Along the way, you’ll see how everything connects. You’ll get a guided behind the scenes tour of our training, customer support, design, and technical service teams as we navigate through the Roastery and talk about where we started and how we got to where we are today.
You’ll also see the show-stopping Coffee Bean Mural, our prized artwork that was created for a coffee exhibit at the St. Louis History Museum. The mural contains 260,000 coffee beans in the shape of the St. Louis skyline (get your phone ready, you’ll want to post this on Instagram).
Every part and every hand is integral to the cup you enjoy.
Experience
By the end, you may find that you know a little more about the coffee, you can taste it a little differently and feel connected to the coffee in your cup.
Whether you’re new to specialty coffee or already have a favorite, this is a chance to discover something new.
Join Us
Come see how it all comes together. Bring a friend or come alone - no one is a stranger here!
Regards,
Haley
