Rochester resident Danielle Morrison received the green light to operate a coffee roasting business out of her home from the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment July 8.
Danielle and her husband, David, live at 42 B Magic Ave., in a multifamily dwelling. Both work full-time jobs, and Morrison said she plans to start her business part time and see where it goes.
Morrison told the board she plans to operate Beans and Blossoms, a small-scale coffee roasting business, with sales by appointment only. She said her clients can pick up their coffee and she will have a mail order component.
“I have a small coffee roaster, capable of roasting two pounds at a time,” Morrison said. “We have been approved by the Fire Department. The machine is vented to the outside, so there will be no fumes. We asked our neighbors, and they are OK with it.”
Inspiration for coffee roasting business
Reached by phone after the ZBA meeting, Morrison said got interested and just recently started coffee roasting.
Morrison said she was “inspired” by La Mulita, a coffee shop in Rye.
“I liked the science of it all, and I started learning. I got books, watched videos,” she said.
Morrison said there is a little coffee community in the Lakes Region, where her parents live, and she tested her coffee on family and friends there.
“I want to work with other people passionate about coffee,” Morrison said. “Right now, it will be all roast to order, and I plan to market online. I have one person who owns a bee farm getting six pounds a week from us. … There is competition in coffee, but there is also a lot of helpful people, willing to teach, to help succeed.”
Beans & Blossoms LLC is a domestic limited-liability company organized under the laws of the state of New Hampshire. The business was filed on March 19, 2024 and is currently listed as good standing with the secretary of state.
What to expect from Beans & Blossoms’ coffee
“We roast all of our coffee to order so you’ll be buying the coffee at its peak instead of from a grocery store, where it’s been sitting on the shelf for a while,” Morrison said, reached by phone. “Also, I’m only roasting single-origin specialty coffee in small batches so each batch is carefully crafted to highlight each coffee’s unique characteristics. That means, for example, that you’ll be able to taste hints of strawberry and honey when brewing our Organic Ethiopian coffee. Lastly, I’ll only be selling my coffee locally right now so be sure to support your local coffee roasters.”
“I can only roast small batches at a time,” Morrison said. “I will do this as needed before or after work. I have no intention of operating any type of café.”
The board felt Morrison met the criteria for the special exception needed.
Board member Raymond Wayman moved to approve, saying it is an appropriate location, with the business subordinate to the residence.
“There is no visual impact to the neighborhood,” Wayman said. “The business is of a limited scale, with no noise or odor.”
Board chair Lawrence Spector told Morrison that should her business be successful and she wanted to expand, she will need to return to the board.
Information: beansandblossoms.square.site
(This story has been updated after Morrison clarified she was inspired by La Mulita, a Rye coffee shop, but did not work there.)
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat. Reporting by Karen Dandurant.
