A key element of exceptional local entrepreneurship is the capacity for new experiences. And, Caffe d’bolla – unquestionably the city’s best source for specialty coffee and tea – has entered a new phase in its ability to roast fresh whole beans which can be purchased by customers.

As much true food scientists as they are gifted baristas, owners John and Yiching Piquet have installed a new roaster that exemplifies the best technology available in the specialty coffee industry. In addition to the point-of-sale roaster, the Fresh Roast System incorporates a remote computer operational system that controls the customized roasting parameters for each variety and lot of beans. The precision of the roaster’s performance clearly meets the rigorous demands of baristas who source outstanding farm-specific and single origin beans.

The only way to achieve truly great coffee is to use freshly roasted beans, John says, citing a well-known food science text that clearly explains the chemical changes that occur during the roasting process. The money quote:

“Constituents of the green coffee bean are quite stable, when the bean is roasted this is no longer true. Once it is ground and exposed to air the bean has even a limited storage life. The staling of coffee is accompanied by the loss of carbon dioxide, oxidation of guaicol and changes in the unsaturated volatile constituents. The fact the furfuryl alcohol is unstable in an acid medium suggests that this and possible other non-fatty constituents present in roasted coffee are responsible for staleness. Furfuryl alcohol, which is present in freshly roasted coffee, is not present in the infusions of stale coffee.”

The new roaster also fits well into the paradigm of Caffe d’bolla’s commitment as a socially responsible and environmentally conscious local business. With technological advancements in onboard filtration and cooling processes, the roaster scrubs and cools the exhaust so that external venting is unnecessary. One can only marvel at the smartness of the process, as described by Matt Weisberg, general sales manager for Fresh Roast Systems:

“Using catalysis the system transforms the smoke via chemical reaction to CO2 and water vapor. The catalyzed exhaust is then routed through a heat exchanger, which heats the new incoming fresh air intake. (After a few roasts, the stored heat accumulates and the computer starts to reduce heater and electrical usage as it create its own heat through the combustion and reaction. Your coffee becomes fuel!) The exhaust is then condensed and cooled and sent through three different filter media, the last of which are two very robust HEPA filters. Finally, it exits out of the top of the system (over six feet up) as slightly warmer than room temperature (90-115 degrees) clean smokeless air.”

The extended scientific references signify a profound point about what distinguishes a business smart about its positioning in product quality and customer service from those who focus primarily on sales and push for market share as a competitive strategy.

Caffe d’bolla, once again, exemplifies the ideal dynamic learning capability essential to a business carving out a niche of leadership in its respective industry. And, for customers in Salt Lake City, it makes a remarkable gift of experiencing the finest coffee and tea available in any Utah venue.

Caffe d’bolla is located at the street level of the Stoneground Building at 249 E 400 S. The shop is open every day, except Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.