Banyan Coffee Roaster Opens Brick-And-Mortar Coffee Shop In Palmetto

PALMETTO, FL — The owners of specialty coffee roaster Banyan Coffee Co. got their start roasting beans at home and eventually operating a bright blue mini truck — a 1984 Cushman Truckster.

This truck helped the company survive the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated many small businesses.

The husband-and-wife team behind the coffee brand, Josh and Abbey Schmitt, used the truck to easily make deliveries to homes throughout the Sarasota and Bradenton areas at a time that many businesses were closed. Eventually, they set up a coffee truck at the weekly Downtown Bradenton Public Market and other events.

Now, the Schmitts have taken Banyan to a new level by opening a brick-and-mortar coffee shop and roastery at 1110 10th Street W. in Palmetto at the end of September.

• Also Read: Banyan Coffee Company Thrives Despite Pandemic

“It’s finally a realization, I guess you could say,” Josh told Patch.

Operating a shop wasn’t initially on the couple’s radar, though.

“It wasn’t like the first thing on our list, but we eventually realized that having a storefront was essential for brand visibility and making the coffee more approachable,” he said.

It sets Banyan apart from other coffee roasters in the area, he added. “Most roasters don’t have a brick-and-mortar space.”

Though some snacks and baked goods are served, unlike many other coffee shops, Banyan’s storefront places the focus on the coffee.

“Traditional coffee shops are more like a café. They serve full-course meals, eggs and sausage, biscuits. They’re basically a diner,” Josh said. “We’re all about the coffee.”

The couple has mirrored the shop after breweries, showcasing their roasting process and equipment for the public to watch.

“We wanted people to see the whole roasting process — showing how the coffee gets to your cup — and wanted to create more of an experience,” he said. “They can see how we roast it, how we pack it, the green beans when they come in, how we store it. And we’ve got a lot of newer technology in the shop, which people have probably never seen.”