Vince Lupo
The Cosmic Bean’s owner, Rob Haroth, loved coffee so much that he bought his own one-pound roaster so he could have the freshest joe available. When he bought a four-pound roaster, it turned into a weekend hobby.
Now he has a 10-pound roaster, and Cosmic Bean customers know they can find Haroth selling his 25 blends—which include a French roast blend, a breakfast blend, and four non-chemically decaffeinated choices—at Chesapeake-area farmers markets from Riva to Bowie.
Local stores, including Graul’s in Annapolis and the David’s Natural Market chain, have also picked up coffees roasted by Haroth, who lives in Millersville and runs his seven-year-old roastery as a part-time business.
“I try to get as much fair trade and organic as I can,” says Haroth, who sells both whole-bean and ground versions of his coffees.
“Giving these people a fair price for their coffees is of utmost importance,” he says. “If they don’t make money, they’re not going to keep doing what they’re doing.”
Certified-organic coffee beans come from such far-flung locales as India, Timor, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, and El Salvador.
“I try to roast them not so dark. More flavor comes out of a lighter roast,” says Haroth.
Two years ago, he expanded into herbal teas. Most are medicinal, and Haroth grows about half the herbs himself.
For more information, visit http://thecosmicbean.easystorecreator.com.
