Posted by Continuing my series featuring Rochester Area coffee bars, I made a stop at one of my favorite local establishments, Glen Edith Coffee Roasters (formally Pour Coffee) last week. I truly love this small, minimalistic space that keeps you feeling cozy while maximizing sunlight with decent windows and an entire curved corner of glass blocks. While Glen Edith features a bar, a majority of it’s space is made for parties of 2-4. On any given day, I would surmise that about half of customers are individuals with the other half being couples and small groups.
Great coffee, craft beer and good wine aren’t the only things on the menu. The folks that work there make a pretty mean sandwich. Mean I tell you. I can’t put my finger on it but they do something to their sandwiches I simply can’t do at home and I am always impressed with the freshness and flavor.
While I was there, I had a chance to talk with manager Ryan Baker. I have to apologize, I had no idea the glare was so bad off Ryan’s glasses… totally my fault. Ryan looks far more awesome than I captured him that day!
“We started off with the mission of bringing great coffee to the City of Rochester, but also not coming across as condescending,” said Ryan. “The idea was good coffee, great customer service and to just have fun. That’s where it started and it’s been two years now. Our goal has stayed the same”
“It’s been fun to be here and watch all the different collaborations that come out of here, the different people you see coming here frequently. When you see them meeting new people, having conversations, you know something cool is happening. You might even see a few months down the road those people that met here come back together as friends, or maybe working on a project. It’s great to be a hub for that sort of thing.”
“It really can be a getaway for people. People can get away from their homes or their offices, but I think they can see other people here being productive. People are always working on their laptops at the bar, reading, having small meetings… even if they never talk to those other people, they see people doing work here all around them and they see that mindset of getting work done. It’s a great place for that. But of course, if people want to talk, we love to talk to them too, we love to give off that welcoming vibe. You can have whatever experience you want here, we’re an open book.”
If you’re looking for a great place to kill time over a good cup of coffee, read a book and sip a craft beer, or get some work done in while surrounded by your fellow Rochesterians, Glen Edith Coffee is a must visit. I all but guarantee you will be hooked by the first visit.