Nicaragua Finca La Cascada

Coffee Labs Roasters opened in May 2003 as the first third wave coffee roaster in Westchester County, New York, founded by Mike and Alicia Love after a visit to the 2001 SCAA Expo in Anaheim sparked their passion for specialty coffee. The original roastery in Tarrytown has been joined by a second location in Bronxville, set inside a converted bank building with a ceiling crafted from reclaimed coffee tree wood. Direct trade relationships with farmers in Burundi, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, Honduras, and Hawaii form the backbone of the sourcing program, which began with a first origin trip to Mexico in 2004. The company holds Green Restaurant Association three star certification, runs on a mix of wind and low impact hydroelectric power, and was the first Westchester employer to earn the National Living Wage Certification Seal. Owner Mike Love has claimed 18 barista championship titles, and the roastery has won Best of Westchester ten times.