Specialty coffee from their mountains, to ours.
Chugach Mountain Roasters, a family-run small-batch specialty coffee roaster, has expanded to Anchorage. Kerry McCourt and Lyle Kass recently renovated and opened their first coffee shop in Spenard, conveniently located near Ted Stevens International Airport. Coffee roasting has always offered this husband and wife team a chance to explore how changes in variety, farming technique, processing method, and geography affect flavor.
With the addition of a store-front cafe, “We are now able to share these unique differences with our friends and neighbors,” says Kerry McCourt. The couple’s wish to share, host, and engage with their community sparked their urge to build a retail space to supplement their preexisting roasting business. “From roasting in a friend’s garage, becoming commercially viable in the corner of a neighborhood restaurant, to building our own space to share, having SBDC as an advocate for our business has been an invaluable asset; navigating small business ownership and growth is not only manageable but exciting, too,” says Lyle Kass.
Chugach Mountain Roasters, an Alaska SBDC client since the birth of the roasting business, worked with their advisor to create financial projections for their first retail venture, secure funding for the renovation, and navigate Health Department permitting with the Anchorage municipality. “Our Alaska SBDC advisor has been integral to the success of our business from the early planning stages and through every step along the way. Her knowledge, advice, tact, and patience has enabled us to grow and succeed,” says Kerry McCourt.
The Spenard cafe space is located at 4707 Spenard Rd, Anchorage, AK, 99517, serving specialty coffees Tuesdays-Saturdays from 7:30am-2pm. The owners are particularly eager to feature local musicians on the patio connected via the shop’s modern garage door opening, as the cafe’s design emphasizes community gathering. “Coffee presents a unique opportunity to create daily connections with the people in our community. By shifting a potentially mundane ritual into the embodiment of one’s values, you create a shared experience that fosters a stronger sense of belonging,” says Lyle Kass.
Chugach Mountain Roasters’ focus is community, quality, and sustainability, presenting coffee beans from farmers who ensure that best practices are used in maintaining the land, with supply chain partners that invest in the producing communities in the form of infrastructure, education, and financing. They offer biodegradable wares and packaging, right down to their sugarcane-derived labels. Alaskans will love their new pack-in pack-out compostable single-use pour-overs, perfect for those craving a quality cup of joe on backcountry excursions.
Be sure to stop by the new cafe to grab a coffee on-site or a bag to take home or on your next summer adventure. To learn more, visit www.chugachmountainroasters.com, connect on Instagram, or visit the new Spenard cafe.
