In case you hadn't heard, Corktown's Anthology Coffee is getting good buzz.
Owner Josh Longsdorf of Detroit opened the doors to his unique shop that's both roasting operation and tasting room inside PonyRide, an entrepreneurial incubator on Vermont Street, in 2012.
"Business is good," says Longsdorf, 35. "May, June, and July, believe it or not, have been the biggest months of the year."
Consider this: Martha Stewart has stopped into the shop, and Food Network star Alton Brown named Anthology's rich brew one of the top five best hand-pours he's ever had.
Most of Anthology's business is wholesale, with the small staff selling roasted coffee to area restaurants and coffee shops.
But for the rest of us, there's a small cafe where coffee lovers stop in and sample the day's offerings, which could be anything from a cup from Kenya to Guatemala.
"We consider (our shop) a tasting room where you can come up and take part in the process as much as you like," says Longsdorf, who also offers brewing classes..
Cups of coffee range between $3 to $4. Specialty teas are also offered.
Longsdorf is a fan of the coffee made from washed Ethiopian beans.
"It's a light floral coffee with notes of jasmine and lavender," he says. "It's pretty refreshing."
A Denver native who grew up in Canton, Longsdorf has been around the coffee business for 15 years, learning the entire process.
Longsdorf, now a husband and father, loves Detroit.
"People say hi to each other and there is a strong sense of community," he says.
"When you're raising a family, that's important. I've lived all over and Detroit is the only place that has felt like home to me."
Specialty coffee businesses often get a bad rap, he says.
People expect the "pretentious baristas who just want you to have black coffee," Longsdorf says. "At Anthology, we ask you if you want cream or sugar. We just want you to enjoy coffee."
