Roasters brewing up local coffee challenge

Fresh competition lurks for chains at Valley fest

By Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 2, 2003

Call it David and Goliath on caffeine.

A handful of Valley independent coffee bean roasters will take on the chains Jan. 18 in Chandler when they hand out free cups of fresh-roasted brew outside the city library at the Valley's first coffee festival.

Ronald Cortez, owner of Cafe Cortez, 1848 E. University Drive in Tempe, came up with the idea as a wake-up call to Valley java drinkers. He's organizing about a dozen local roasters to promote the idea that freshly roasted beans are to Starbucks what fine wine is to Gallo. Roasting demonstrations and coffee geography lessons will be part of the event, which was added this year to Chandler's annual multicultural festival.

"Coffee is only good for a week after it's roasted," he said. "It smells different, it looks different when it's fresh-roasted. We're taking that to the community."

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