River Rosters Coffee Company in Pomeroy, Ohio, in collaboration with JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE), and Meigs County CIC, has announced plans to invest $171,536 into the expansion of its food and beverage business in Meigs County.
The company will construct a new building, invest in a commercial roaster, and build a commercial kitchen for food production. The new operation will enable the company to supply business customers such as restaurants, groceries and other coffee shops in multiple states.
“We hope that this expansion allows us to supply fantastic specialty coffee, baked goods, and other River Roasters Coffee Co. staples to many surrounding areas. Our plan was always to roast our own specialty coffee, but we realized quickly that a café and roastery are two different business models and we needed to select one to start with,” said Co-Owner, Larry Hess Jr. “This new investment will allow us to separate the two and make them two very different but equally as important parts of our company and hire more great people to join our team.”
To have the support from our local community, along with OhioSE, JobsOhio and Meigs County CIC means so much to us
Candice Hess
Moving into production and wholesaling is a natural next step for the company and complements River Roasters Café, which will remain on Main Street in downtown Pomeroy and continue to serve retail customers. The roasting and food operation will be located on Rocksprings Road and should open later this year.
Candice and Larry Hess Jr. founded River Roasters Coffee Co. in 2018. The couple purchased and renovated a historic building and opened the café business, which has grown rapidly due to its popularity with area residents and visitors from other surrounding areas. River Roasters also sells coffee online to customers all over the U.S and hopes to grow their online presence with this new endeavor.
“To have the support from our local community, along with OhioSE, JobsOhio and Meigs County CIC means so much to us. They are investing in our dream to bring a specialty coffee roastery to Pomeroy, Ohio and supply great coffee from our little piece of South East Ohio,” said Co-Owner, Candice Hess. “The OhioSE team has been great to work with and everyone is so supportive and excited about our project.”
River Roasters Coffee Co. will create four new jobs and invest over $260,000 in the expansion. A $50,000 JobsOhio Inclusion Grant will support the project. Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) and the Meigs County Community Improvement Corporation assisted the company with its grant request.
JobsOhio and OhioSE are excited to support the growth of River Roasters Coffee Co. in Meigs County.
Mike Jacoby
“River Roasters is a perfect example of a small company starting, growing and diversifying into manufacturing.” said OhioSE President Mike Jacoby. “The result is a positive economic impact on our region and a true business success story. JobsOhio and OhioSE are excited to support the growth of River Roasters Coffee Co. in Meigs County.”
“Candice and Larry have turned their dream into a growing, vertically integrated company through hard work, vision, and an unwavering belief in their business and southeastern Ohio,” said Meigs County Economic Development Director Perry Varnadoe. “We appreciate their investment in Meigs County and the project support from OhioSE.”
Additional coverage:
- “River Roasters Coffee making move into wholesale” – Food Business News, 05/06/2021
- “River Roasters Coffee making move into wholesale” – News AKMI, 05/06/2021
- “Pomeroy coffee shop to expand to wholesale” – WSAZ, 05/05/2021
- “River Roasters Coffee Company announces expansion in Meigs County” – Gallipolis Daily Tribune, 05/04/2021
- “River Roasters Coffee Company announces expansion in Meigs County” – The Highland County Press, 05/04/2021
- “River Roasters Coffee Company announces expansion in Meigs County” – The Daily Sentinel, 05/04/2021
