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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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