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Sipping from a mason jar of chaider, a seasonal chai-cider medley with hints of cinnamon, founder John Roos mused on yet another year of RoosRoast Coffee being crowned the best cup of coffee in town.
“It’s all because of my employees,” Roos said. “My staff, they’re amazing. People rave about them all the time. I’m so happy with them, and I’m very proud.”
Roos started roasting coffee out of a garage on the south side of Ann Arbor, then opened the store’s headquarters on East Stadium Boulevard, located south of the University of Michigan campus. He opened the East Liberty locale in 2016, which marked the start of RoosRoast’s tenure at the top of Ann Arbor’s coffee scene.
When the weather is warm, customers fill the bright red outdoor tables, savoring the cafe’s sips and bites beneath the sun’s rays. Even well into the afternoon, we initially struggled to find a place to sit among the tables that spill into the car-free, blocked-off street.
The store itself is an extension of Roos and his affinities: Beyond the coffee, the indoor space overflows with art, with hand-painted pieces and vibrant floor-to-ceiling murals filling the walls. And, of course, there’s the iconic storefront: a bold, geometric design of blues, yellows and reds.
Roos also draws inspiration from his travels, from the vibrant public art of Oaxaca, Mexico, to the eclectic coffeehouses of Portland, Oregon. We bonded over our shared love for the latter city’s coffee scene, where I grew up and where he lived for 15 years before returning to Michigan.
“I think it has that Portland aesthetic,” Roos said of the cafe’s design.
The store’s community status transcends its two brick-and-mortar locations: Online orders constitute a significant portion of the business, Roos explained, as former Ann Arborites who grew fond of the store’s signature Lobster Butter Love roast continue their patronage from all over the country.
RoosRoast’s future looks much like its present: continuing to give back to the Ann Arbor community and to make delicious, quality coffee.
“We’re trying to keep coffee affordable,” Roos said. “We just want high-quality coffee at a good price.”
Daily Staff Reporter Irena Li can be reached at irenayli@umich.edu.
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