Once the beans cool, they are packaged for distribution.
The roastery, the first in the Irmo area, is for now, a one-man
operation out of a non-descript office/warehouse within a
couple of miles of the Loveland Coffee drive-thru. But the
Lovelands larger vision has always been for a coffee café,
a venue where they could reach out the Irmo-Ballentine
community of greater Columbia.
“We thought going forward toward that goal that (the roastery)
would be a great next step,” Loveland said. “We thought this
would be a great investment in ourselves to be able to control
the quality of our products and get a cost savings.”
A devastating October 2015 flood in Columbia offered
Loveland a unique opportunity to engage the community. At
that time, because the Columbia water supply was potentially
contaminated, a cup of coffee was hard to come by. But
Loveland says because the water he uses at the drive-thru is
from a “secure source” he was able to fill the coffee fix for the
community.
“People were paying it forward to others, (saying), ‘Here is $100
(for others),’” Loveland said. “That’s a pretty regular thing at the
drive-thru. People are paying it forward, buying a coffee and
then buying three more.”
So how does Loveland explain the coffee phenomenon that
has swept the land ever since Seattle-based Starbucks went
nationwide in the mid-1980s?
“It’s a warm beverage that brings people together,” Loveland
said. “It’s just magical. It’s here to stay.”
15
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