ContempoRoast Coffee & Roastery

ContempoRoast Coffee and Roastery is a beautiful staple in the Centerville community. Woman- and veteran-owned, specializing in small-batch specialty coffee, you can’t go wrong with grabbing your daily caffeine from ContempoRoast. You might as well pair your coffee with a delicious chocolate chip cookie–a family recipe.

There’s so much more to this independent coffee shop and roastery than just a simple cup of joe. Along with their hot and cold coffee drinks, including coffee flights (!!!), ContempoRoast has an exciting seasonal menu, a growing selection of high-quality teas, housemade lemonade, a selection of pastries, many of them homemade, and several gluten-free and vegan choices.

Their on-site roastery is the greenest on the market– so not only are they serving the best tasting coffee, it’s environmentally friendly! While you can taste the flavor of these beans by purchasing a drink, they also sell whole bean coffee, ground in the cafe on request, as well as fully compostable coffee pods. ContempoRoast sells their coffee and merchandise both in-store and online, shipping everywhere in the United States.

If you’re out and about, you can find their specialty roasted coffee at Dot’s Market Centerville, Boonshoft Museum’s EcoEatery, the Washtington Township RecPlex, as well as special blends made exclusively for Harley-Davidson of Xenia, Adelaide’s Wholesome Baked, and Monster Baby Donuts.

I [Victoria] had the opportunity to visit the Roastery and speak with the co-owner, Andy. Within the first minute of conversing, I could see his passion for what him and his family do. ContempoRoast Coffee and Roastery is officially added to my favorite places to grab a latte- and of course- a pastry.

What do you love about Dayton?

“The business is owned by a mother and son whose family has been in the area for 9 generations, respectively, since 1798. We were born here, went to school and college here, built our business here; this is home. We love being an integral part of the community, partnering with different businesses so they can offer the very best coffee. We try to give more than we take.”

What makes your business so special?

“Our number one product is customer service. You can get coffee lots of places (though arguably not as good as ours). What makes us stand out are our people who strive to improve your day with a smile, a friendly word, and assistance in helping you find exactly the drink that you want. We roast all our coffee in our Centerville cafe; you can see our roaster working his magic through the large observation window.

We have flights daily so you can try several coffees, and we have several gluten-free and vegan choices for those with dietary restrictions. We have comfortable booth seating (with plugs underneath) as well as traditional chairs and stools for the high-tops at the window, and a good wifi signal.”

Andy’s Full Interview:

Q: What inspired your family to open up ContempoRoast?

A: So I’ve been in the coffee industry since 2012 and that was always while I was kind of in school or other industries. I always wanted to explore different challenges and different jobs and environments, and ultimately I just had a love of coffee that kept bringing me back. Eventually after changing majors a couple of times in college and meanwhile, I was doing some roasting at a coffee shop in Arizona, we decided that it was time to start putting up our own thing and start planning from there.

Q: How did you come up with the name “ContempoRoast?”

A: Coming from contemporary, we always want to change with the times–we don’t just want to be rooted in whatever town we opened up our shop–so a big part of that is a commitment to learning what the new trends and educational advances are in the coffee industry. Attending specialty coffee association expos and trade shows like that, just always trying to keep an open mind and see what’s happening.

Q: When people come to Contemporoast, what’s one thing you hope they feel when they step through those doors?

A: Welcome. I want people to feel welcome with open arms the second they’re in here and that they can relax and just enjoy a good cup of coffee.

Q: What is your favorite item on your menu?

A: You know, I’ve got to stick with the staples. I usually will change up what my afternoon drinks are but one of my first drinks of the day is usually going to be a Cortado, because I like that espresso kick and just a little bit of steamed milk to add sweetness, but I still really like my coffee-forward drinks.

Q: What’s been your biggest “what did I get myself into” moment?

A: You know, I am really grateful for everything that’s been happening and it’s incredibly rewarding but there’s also definitetly something to be said for getting into a project, like opening up a small business, especially a family-operated thing. There’s always going to be a pro and con of getting really close with people where you mix the professional and personal lines but I think it’s also given us an opportunity to grow and really kind of expand our dynamic and come out healthier.

Q: What’s been your proudest moment?

A: Honestly just seeing the business being successful and people coming in here and appreciating the space for how I envision it. Seeing the way the baristas are interacting with the customers–you can see the passion, you can see that people are enjoying it, you can see that they’re happy when you can give recommendations based on preference and the prompts they’re given of “here’s what I want to try, here’s what I want to stick away from,” it’s fun. Being a barista is definitely challenging work but we like to do what we can to let the barista shine and have moments that they can connect with people.

ContempoRoast has given YOU the opportunity to win 1lb of their specialty roasted coffee beans and Planetary Design’s Airscape coffee canister (retail value of $66.33)! Proper storage of your coffee beans preserves the integrity and quality of the whole coffee bean, extending the coffee’s body and flavor profile. If you’re a coffee, or tea, drinker– this is perfect for you!