Current Crop Roasting Shop
3931 Magazine Street
currentcroproasting.com // @currentcroprs
In March, Current Crop Roasting Shop opened on Magazine Street in Uptown, but those in search of a cup of joe be forewarned — you won’t get it here. As the name states, this is a roasting shop, not a coffee shop. Visitors here learn about coffee, its origins, the process of growing and making it, and how to roast their own. Owner John Puckett recently shared with Biz the design concept for the space, what customers can expect and what he’s hoping to achieve in the coming months.
What were the design team’s goals and why?
The team aimed to create a welcoming and comfortable environment where guests could interact and learn about the home coffee-roasting process. The goal was to make guests feel at home, enticed to learn and interact, and to have impactful, hands-on experiences. The final design exceeded expectations by providing opportunities to explore the roasting process, the coffee itself and engage with the Current Crop team.
What was the biggest design challenge?
It was creating an attractive and user-friendly solution for the wide variety of beans available to our guests. To overcome this, we introduced the concept of a ‘bean library’ that makes choosing coffee more playful and exciting. This approach allowed for organized showcasing of beans by region, mimicking the orderliness of a traditional library. The solution effectively addressed the challenge of presenting diverse bean options while ensuring an enjoyable shopping experience.
What is the standout feature of the design?
It’s the seamless integration of various elements that work together to create a fun and approachable coffee-roasting education center. The design incorporates smart product organization, effective space planning, helpful, branded signage and retail areas that are easy to shop. From the classrooms to the bean library, guests enjoy an exciting and interactive environment that caters to coffee-roasting beginners and experts alike.
How would you describe Current Crop and its customer base?
We are a niche market in the coffee world because we offer a unique approach to filling your coffee needs. It’s an experience to visit our store. Customers can choose their own coffee beans based on origin, flavor notes, process, and roast it to their desired roast level. If they don’t have their own equipment, we provide three roasting stations to roast coffee in our store at no cost. Our customers are people who want to learn about the entire coffee process from origin to their cup of coffee.
How do you set yourselves apart from others doing similar work?
We are the first in the market to approach the coffee industry from this perspective. Learning is fun, creative and interactive so many customers add it to their list of hobbies. They love to return to the store to try new beans or change the roast level on the same bean to experience the difference in flavor notes. Our trained staff assists customers with their bean and equipment selections, as well as choosing roast levels for them. We are not a coffee shop but a source for you to buy specialty coffee from all over the world.
How do you promote a positive work atmosphere?
Our staff is always in a learning mode. They are continually learning from each other as well as from our customers’ roasting experiences. We hire individuals who want to interact with customers and share their knowledge and experience of coffee roasting with them.
What are your biggest challenges?
Overcoming the perception that we are just another coffee shop. We do not sell brewed coffee, pastries or consumables in our store.
What goals do you have for the next 12 months?
We want to become a household brand name when it comes to options for purchasing coffee. We want to be a coffee resource for individuals interested in the entire coffee process from origin to cup. We want to become a destination store for coffee enthusiasts that want to learn about the coffee they drink or hone their skills for home roastings and brewing.
Anything else you think readers should know?
I would want customers to know that they can roast their own coffee in 10 minutes. It’s inexpensive to begin home roasting, but you also have the option of using our equipment at no cost. Sign up for our roasting and cupping classes. They are fun, educational and most of all interactive. Lastly, we offer custom classes based on customers’ requests. They are great for office team building, clubs, birthdays and groups of all kinds. We have even hosted a supper club and each couple brought a dish to share while Catherine taught roasting. Businesses have brought in lunch for customers and done an interactive roasting class. Check our website and social media for upcoming classes this fall, [such as] coffee cocktails, [and] coffee and dessert pairings.
Quick Look
Opening Date
March 1, 2023
Style of building’s architecture
Old New Orleans double shotgun home
Square footage
1,800
Number of Employees
6
Persons in Charge
John Puckett, owner; and Catherine Mansell, director of programs and products
Architect
Julie Babin and Daniel Kautz of practis (formerly Studio WTA)
Interior designer
Mary Sanders Ferriss of Ferriss & Company in Jackson, Mississippi
Contractor
Cassi Dymond of Kalimera Construction
