To help established Brownwood, TX coffee shop Common Grounds Coffee House & Deli transition from outsourced to house-roasted coffee with the purchase of a new coffee roaster.

CEPros Delivers

When Common Grounds’ owner Marco Sandoval reached out, we swiftly matched him with a 10kg Toper Roaster from our inventory and promptly delivered it. We assisted in commissioning the machine and conducted a training session, leading to its first roast. Now, three months later, Common Grounds customers savor house-roasted coffee, and Marco is inspired to explore new avenues for business expansion.

Are you in the coffee shop business and currently outsourcing your coffee roasting? If so, take a moment to consider what it would feel like to bring that roasting in-house: A beautiful roaster on display, the rich aroma of coffee beans inviting people to linger a bit longer. Or, maybe you think about how you could customize your offerings and connect with your customers in a new way. So many possibilities!

Of course, you’d also benefit from enhanced quality control, cost savings, and the ability to build out new revenue channels that could totally transform your business. But I’m guessing you imagined the dream first—and I believe that dream of roasting your own coffee is completely within reach.

I’m happy to talk about this any time of day to any coffee shop owner who's interested, even on an early Friday morning at the end of a long week—which is exactly what happened a few months ago. 

When Marco Sandoval of Common Grounds Coffee House & Deli reached out to us, he said he was looking for a 10kg roaster for his Brownwood, TX, shop. I immediately called him, and he told me he planned to contact me (as exclusive US distributor for Toper Roasters), along with a couple of other well-known manufacturers—and then see who responded first. 

Guess who was the early bird?

I asked Marco to fill me in on his vision for transitioning from coffee shop retailer to roaster-retailer.

He shared that, in 2011, he and his wife Yesy opened their original coffee shop in Brownwood, noticing the small West Texas town's need for a good one. Then, a few years back, they had the opportunity to purchase an old fire station in their town to serve as a new larger home for their coffee shop—just in time for its tenth anniversary. Over the past thirteen years, they've built a beloved community spot, serving breakfast, lunch, and coffee. 

Former educators, Marco and Yesy prioritize instilling a sense of purpose and strong work ethic in their team. Now stronger than ever, in 2024 they’ve set their sights on elevating their business by bringing coffee roasting in-house. Despite sourcing quality beans from a Texas company, they sought to become master roasters themselves, opening doors for business expansion.

Once Marco walked me through his needs, it was clear that the 10kg Toper would be a great fit—and would fit perfectly in his coffee shop’s space. Toper Roasters offer a perfect blend of user-friendliness, affordability, and consistent roasting, making them an ideal choice for someone just starting out in coffee roasting. Plus, we had the machine in stock, meaning no excessive wait time for manufacture and delivery.

By the end of our call, Marco agreed to purchase the Toper. He never had to even call the other guys.

The rest of the project went pretty quickly: We delivered Marco’s Toper within about a week, and since Brownwood is only a couple of hours away from Austin (my home base), I had the rare opportunity to help Marco set up and commission the machine, walking him through the roast profiling and control system.

Then for the first roast: Marco had chosen fifteen pounds of some of his favorite green coffee beans for the Toper’s first run. In under twelve minutes, we had produced a batch of beautiful, even, medium-roast beans. Marco was ecstatic!

Now, about three months later, Marco is serving his house-roasted beans both on the menu and in full bags, allowing Common Goods customers to bring a bit of their favorite local coffee shop home with them. From a recent Facebook reel, it looks like Marco's getting the hang of it!

You might wonder what makes this story special. We received an inquiry, we matched the buyer to the right roaster, and we helped deliver the machine and train him on it. In many ways, it’s just another day of doing what we do. 

But this is not a story about us. It’s not a story about Toper, or really even about Common Grounds. It’s actually a story about you—especially if you’re a coffee shop owner considering bringing your coffee roasting in-house.

When you invest in a roaster—a machine that can change your business dreams and your life—you don’t want a salesperson. You want a consultant who can provide expert advice and practical, affordable equipment solutions. You need someone who listens to your questions and helps you get to the right answers. 

With our expertise in the current coffee roaster market, our highly vetted collection of Used Elite roasters, and new roaster inventory, we can help you level-up your business and dream bigger. And with our connections with trusted, certified roaster technicians, we can also help you with the space planning and setup requirements to make room for a roaster in your existing space.

So, I go back to my opening question: Are you in the coffee shop business and currently outsourcing your coffee roasting? And do you dream of doing it yourself? If so, contact me. Call or text me any time at 949.289.8083, or let me know what you’re looking for. 

Just as with Marco, I'm always available to chat.

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