Artís Coffee, Freshly Roasted in Berkeley

Artís Coffee
1717B Fourth St., Berkeley
Phone: (510) 898-1104
Web: artiscoffee.com
Status: Open

Fourth Street got a new addition this weekend, Artís Coffee, a combination retail outlet and coffee shop serving beans roasted live and on-demand. The concept was born out of founder Alex Lowe's experience with live roasting, in which green coffee is roasted on the spot according to the customer's preferences. A common sight in Japan, where Lowe first encountered it, the process is new news on the Bay Area's already innovative coffee scene. To pursue his vision, Lowe teamed up with fellow Babson College MBA candidates James Gutierrez and Elvis Lieban to produce Artís, which uses a fancy Java Master hot-air coffee roaster to transform a customer's choice of whole beans from raw to brewable in six minutes flat.

Artís' staff will be ready to advise the uninitiated on bean selection and roasting style, but freshness is a constant across bean types and roasts. Sourced from fair-trade providers Royal Coffee and Café Imports, Artís also has social good in mind: one percent of profits will be donated to a seed fund that supports both local projects and outside assistance programs in various coffee-growing regions of the world. Artís is also offering counsel on the equipment and accoutrement needed to make superlative coffee at home, and their shop's retail side carries roasters, grinders, and brewing accessories for the armchair coffee enthusiast. Hours for the new spot are 7am-7pm on weekdays, 8am-6pm on weekends.

· Artis Coffee Coming Soon and Roasting Live, To Order [SF Weekly]
· Artis Coffee Headed to Berkeley [~ ESF ~]