Southside Roast Brings Hometown Vibe to Centennial Village

Ann Hessler and her neighbors on the South Side of Cranford were always looking for a place to get a good cup of coffee near Centennial Village on Saturday and Sunday mornings, but there was nothing close by.

So when the space at 300 Centennial Avenue remained vacant and Hessler was searching for something to do after her law career, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to create that coffee shop for south side residents.

The name “Southside Roast” came almost immediately, she said. After running different south side names by neighbors, they all agreed on Southside Roast so they could abbreviate it to “SoRo,” like a “SoHo” or “NoHo” feel, she explained.

Hessler works with roasters to create her own house blends, such as Peg or 203, which are the permanents roasts at SoRo. Each week they offer a different single estate roast, which is chosen by the roaster based on what is fresh and available.

Hessler places her orders on Sunday, they are brewed on Monday and they get to the shop on Tuesday mornings.

“We want everything to be as fresh as possible,” Hessler explained.

All Southside Roast products are also as local as possible, from the breads courtesy of Cranford resident John Backiel’s bakery Lithuanian Bake of Elizabeth to the jelly out of Dryer’s Farms and even the t-shirts are made in Cranford. All employees are students from Cranford, whether it is high school or college, besides Hessler and her niece from Linden.

“Everything is in the neighborhood or local,” she explained. “That’s what we want to do, that’s what it’s all about.”

In addition to the local products Southside Roast offers, the spot also features local talent, including live music.

“Around the Corner,” often performs at SoRo, made up of local residents who literally live around the corner from the coffee house. Jonathon Furer of Cranford who will be attending Columbia’s Exclusive Jazz Program has also performed at SoRo with his jazz trio. A band of Cranford High School students, Nothing Personal, has performed and Southside Roast hosted an open mic night.

“It’s a place where people can come and show their talent,” Hessler explained.

The roasts at SoRo are environmentally sensitive, rainforest certified and fair trade, all of which is important to Hessler.