Banyan Coffee Company has the specially roasted beans — and they deliver
Josh Schmitt, 36, has such a passion for fresh coffee that he started selecting and roasting his own beans about nine years ago, using a popcorn popper.
Over the years he went through more than 20 popcorn poppers before graduating to an actual coffee roaster. In 2018, with a push from his wife, Abbey, he turned his hobby into a specialty coffee roasting business, Banyan Coffee Company.
The couple first sold coffee beans at the Bradenton Farmers Market on Old Main Street. The market helped them build a network with other businesses.
“It kept growing from there,” Abbey said of the business, which now delivers roasted coffee beans to businesses, churches, special events and homes.
“It was like that moment in the movie ‘Jaws,’ when the guy says we are going to need a bigger boat. We realized we needed a bigger roaster,” Abbey said.
The Schmitts talk about notes in coffee the way that wine connoisseurs talk about notes in vino. Subtle undertones can make all the difference in taste.
To create blends with the desired notes, they buy beans from Sumatra, Colombia, Java, Honduras, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala and elsewhere.
“Coffee is a really innocent thing. Politicians on opposing sides can come together over a cup of coffee. Coffee is an icebreaker and a way to connect people,” Josh said.
“Everybody takes their coffee differently. I like my coffee black. I want to taste the notes,” Josh said.
Abbey prefers cold brew with a lot of cream.
Recognizing differences in taste, the couple are always looking for new types of beans. That restless pursuit of finding the best beans, and experimenting with the roast, leads Abbey to call her husband the mad scientist.
“By faith and true grit, our desire is to connect coffee farmers from all over the world to our local communities. We hand select our coffee to bring the best quality beans from South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. We want everyone to have the opportunity for fresh coffee. Everyone deserves great coffee,” the couple says.
Banyan Coffee Company offers free delivery direct to customers in the Bradenton-Sarasota area, to special events, and also sells the beans at farmers markets and at pop-up markets from a cart, a converted Cushman Workster. Retail coffee prices start at $12 for a 12-ounce package and $28 for a two-pound package.
Beans can also be found at Geraldson Community Farm, 9812 9th Ave. NW, Bradenton; Little Saigon Cafe, 3211 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton; the General Store on AMI, 503 Pine Ave., Anna Maria; Island Fresh Market on AMI, 5604 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach; Back Alley Treasures, 108 Historic, Bridge St., Bradenton Beach: REinspired Boutique, 2801 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton; and Brown’s Grove Farm Market, 12255 US-301, Parrish.
Prior to moving full-time into the coffee business, Josh made his living as a general aviation pilot, flying, among others, local lawmakers to the Florida legislative session in Tallahassee.
“I started drinking coffee when I was a pilot because it was the only thing available to drink. When you show up at an airport early in the morning or late at night, the only thing available was a pot of coffee that’s probably been sitting for 24 hours on a heating pad. I look at it now and I say that is so gross,” he said.
For more information about Banyan Coffee Company, visit https://www.banyancoffeecompany.com/about or their Instagram account at Banyan_Coffee_Co.
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 3:46 PM.
