It was a year ago, while planning a cruise in the Caribbean, I did a quick google-search, curious if any of my ports-of-call had any specialty coffee.
How stoked was I, when I saw that just a few meters from the cruiseship port in Charlotte-Amalie in St. Thomas, USVI was a ping on the map for “Virigin Islands Coffee Roasters.” Once we arrived in port on a beautiful sunny day, I made my way from the cruise ship to the coffee shop and was so excited to enjoy some specialty coffee during my trip…and it didn’t dissapoint.
So much so, that I knew I would have to follow up with Cathy and the team at Virgin Islands Coffee Roasters to one day share their story. And today is that day. So to kick off 2025, here’s the story of Virgin Islands Coffee Roasters as our first “Coffee Roaster of the Month” for the New Year.
Hey Cathy, so great to get the chance to connect with you! Help our audience get to know you a bit better…
When we lived in Washington, D.C., before moving to the Virgin Islands, Ramsey was drawn to a small coffee shop in our brownstone neighborhood called Eastern Market, located just behind the Capitol. He became fascinated by the different tasting notes of the various single-origin coffees served at their slow bar. Shortly after, he bought a popcorn popper and began roasting his own beans in our apartment.
Fast forward to our move to the Virgin Islands, where he decided to turn this passion into a business, recognizing the lack of specialty coffee options available here. The coffee industry is always evolving, with changes in blends and available varieties.
We have found fulfillment in offering freshly roasted and ground specialty coffee to our community through partnerships with local cafes and hotels. We love being a part of people’s vacations and enjoy sharing our coffees with them once they return home through our online store. As we like to say, we love to welcome guests with a smile and a good cup of coffee!
Before we go much further, share with our readers what you’re drinking/enjoying these days when it comes to coffee!
As we enter the holiday season, we are enjoying our Holiday Blend which is a Colombian and Tanzanian lightly roasted and has a creamy body with chocolate almond notes and a dried cherry finish. We also just roasted up some new Costa Rican coffee which I can’t wait to try, it will be featured as our Roaster’s Choice coffee.
So, home-base for you is Charlotte-Amalie USVI,which perhaps is not a familiar city to many of our readers. Can you share a bit more about what the coffee culture/community is like in the Virgin Islands!
The Virgin Islands is a small but tight-knit community. We introduced specialty coffee to the region, allowing us to share our brews not only with local residents but also with the many visitors that come here each year, including tourists and cruise ship guests. We have a loyal fan base of coffee enthusiasts and enjoy showcasing the coffee roasting process. In our small retail store, guests can interact with our roaster directly while sampling freshly roasted coffee.
Can you tell us a bit about the history of Virgin Islands Coffee Roasters and your two cafés?
We started our wholesale coffee business in 2012 in St. Thomas. After our islands were rebuilt from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, we moved into a new location. This new space allows for a more public front where visitors can see the roasting process, sample our coffees, and purchase beans and merchandise.
Our partners in St. Croix opened a larger café about five years ago at the King Christian Hotel in Christiansted. Here, locals and visitors alike are welcome to try various specialty coffee drinks, enjoy food and baked goods, and relax in the beautiful VI Coffee Roasters space.
I see on all your packaging and products the words “Live Free.” What does that mean to you, and how does that motto shape what you do when it comes to roasting/serving coffee?
To us, this means living to your own free will, controlled by no one. This transpires to our freedom in of coffee selection and roasts.
I see you were featured in Sprudge back in 2019 in their annual “Build-Outs of the Summer” article. What does that recognition from such a widely read website mean to you? Has that helped to grow awareness of your company?
It was incredible to be featured in such a national and esteemed publication. I don’t think it did much for brand awareness from what we can tell, but we are on a rock in the middle of the ocean.
When it comes to the future of specialty coffee what would you like to see in terms of trends, initiatives, direction? How is Virgins Islands Coffee helping to contribute towards those?
We hope specialty coffee continues to grow and becomes more mainstream so more people can experience it. We feel we have locally helped in that pursuit by working to get it out to larger hotels with fresh grinding stations so the coffee experience becomes more elevated for guests and becomes standard.
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Contact Info:
web: www.virgingislandscoffeeroasters.com
instagram: @vicoffeeroasters
facebook: facebook.com/virginislandscoffeeroasters
email: info@vicoffeeroasters.com
Find their beans: If you’re looking to get your hands on some beans then definitely check out their web-store for what they’re currently roasting.
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I just want to say a huge thank you to Cathy from Virgin Islands Coffee Roasters for helping to share their story. Check out their site, grab yourself some beans, and enjoy!
Stay Caffeinated,
Tyler
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