For The Coffee Barrel of Holt, it’s all about providing quality roasted coffee and a personal, comfortable atmosphere for their customers. The Coffee Barrel has been roasting coffee beans in the Greater Lansing area since 1983, but their move to the Delhi Township community 12 years ago is what helped them add a café experience to their roasting operation.
They provide roasting services to businesses and wholesalers both in the community and in other states outside of Michigan. While their roasting business is quite extensive, guests to the café in Holt will find a quiet, intimate setting where baristas are quick to remember your face, your name, and your favorite drink order.
“We have a really small team, so it’s easy to get to know us,” says Ashley Birchmeier, the General Manager of The Coffee Barrel. “It’s a very welcoming and comforting place to be. We have our little community around here that we really get to know.”
The Coffee Barrel offers a wide variety of flavored and unflavored coffees. In fact, their wide variety of flavored coffees is what they’re most known for. They even offer a flavored decaf option, which is pretty rare for coffee shops.
But it’s their style of roasting that is perhaps the most unique part about them. They use a style of roasting that keeps the beans moving constantly, creating a smoother coffee without the bitter taste that comes when beans get scorched. This type of roasting is called fluid bed roasting. And according to Ashley, it makes a big difference.
Guests are even invited to tour the warehouse directly behind the café to see the roasting in action. The Coffee Barrel offers small tours for groups of between five and 20 people. Guests are treated to a short tour and get the chance to see The Coffee Barrel’s two roasters in action.
Being a gathering space is what it’s all about for The Coffee Barrel. “You don’t just have to come in, grab coffee, and go,” says Ashley. “We really encourage you to come in and stay and meet with your friends, do a project, start a puzzle, have a card game.”
For those who are on the go however, The Coffee Barrel is still offering curbside service. Customers can also order beans online and have them shipped or pick them up at the café. These services are what kept The Coffee Barrel afloat during the pandemic shutdown.
“We want to share our appreciation for the community’s continued support throughout COVID. We had a lot of people ordering in while they were working from home. It was a huge relief and help to keep our doors open and our staff on hand. It was a scary time for everyone, so to see our customers really come through for us, we really appreciate that.”
The Coffee Barrel is located at 2237 Aurelius Road in Holt, 517.694.9000, thecoffeebarrel.com.