Denver’s Kaladi Coffee Roasters specialize in organic, shade grown and Fair Trade coffees and teas that have received multiple accolades from Rocky Mountain News and 5280 Magazine over time. Co-owner Mark Overly travels around to source quality beans he then lectures internationally on them.

Overly’s love for coffee can be seen at his South Broadway location, which features two rooms. In front of it all is a coffee bar filled with tables, chairs and ambient lighting; and behind is his roaster room where Overly cultivates his brand cult following and supplies beans to over 120 Colorado coffee bars.

Co-owner of the company claims his favorite part of his job is sourcing beans and developing recipes, something he finds both “fascinating and endlessly rewarding”. As part of his job, another aspect that appeals to him is ensuring the consistent quality of his products so customers know exactly what they can expect each time they purchase something from him. Overly has found this to be challenging in an industry in which tastes change from season to season, yet he stands firm and sticks with his original formula. He describes the unique qualities of his product by explaining, “We air roast our beans so as not to burn them on hot surfaces. Additionally, they use convection roasting whereby beans are placed on perforated beds that allow air circulation rather than directly being heated by contact heating methods.