MENTOR, Ohio—In 2018, Chris and Charisse Barbian, and their nephew Austin, bought a popcorn machine at Goodwill. They modified it to reach higher temperatures and used it to roast coffee. The new hobby was a distraction for Chris, a mechanical engineer, who was undergoing chemo/radiation treatment for cancer.
Soon after, a family friend gifted them a coffee roaster. So, Chris studied coffee roasting to learn the science and processes. That led to three varieties of roasts, an online e-commerce site and a table at the Willoughby Farmers Market.Today Calico Jack offers 12 blends/roasts using beans grown in various countries. Soon they will be supplying their own shop as well as long-time customers CLE Juice Box and several grocery stores.
“After the coffee gets roasted, the coffee has to ‘de-gas’ over 24 to 48 hours because the beans are still giving off carbon dioxide from the roasting and cooling process,” he explains. “There is a sweet spot right after de-gassing where the coffee is at peak quality.”