Client: The Cheesy Corner – Ontario, Canada
Business: Artisan Cheese & Gourmet Food Shop
The Challenge: Roasting Their Own Beans – Without the Overwhelm
Phyllis and David, the passionate duo behind The Cheesy Corner, have built a loyal following with their artisanal cheese and gourmet offerings in Stayner, Ontario. While the shop was already known for its curated selection of fine foods, the couple dreamed of elevating their shop experience by selling their very own roasted coffee.
They’d sold locally roasted beans for years, but bringing roasting under their own roof would give them more control over quality and open the door to better margins. What they needed was a reliable, small-batch coffee roaster that didn’t require deep technical knowledge or a complex installation process.
Phyllis and David were new to the world of coffee roasting and needed a roaster that could seamlessly integrate into their busy day-to-day operations – something reliable, easy to operate, and efficient. And that could, most of all, produce delicious coffee blends.
Because the shop was located in a residential neighbourhood, they also needed a clean, low-impact roasting solution. That meant no lingering smoke and no strong aromas.
The Solution: A Perfect Match with the Solar Eco Shop Roaster
After speaking with Phyllis and David and understanding their goals, we demonstrated the roasting process on the Solar Eco Shop Roaster – a compact, fully guided roasting machine built for small-batch production and ease of use. They were impressed by its space-saving size, powerful roasting capabilities and user-friendly operation – or as Phyllis would later put it, “idiot-proof roasting.”
At 2kg of green coffee beans per batch, user-friendly operation and profile-saving functionality, the Solar Eco gave them everything they needed to get started, without the technical deep dive required by more advanced commercial coffee roasters. To solve the issue of roasting aromas and smoke, we paired their roaster with the Avirnaki Smoke Elimination Cabinet. This unit houses a 2-stage filtration system that removes the aromas and smoke produced during coffee roasting and can be vented indoors if no external venting is accessible.
From Setup to First Roast – And a Quick Recovery
Once the machine arrived, we walked Phyllis and David through a full remote training session. In less than an hour, they were ready to begin roasting – and they hit the ground running.
Shortly after they got started, a rare software glitch emerged. But instead of a frustrating delay, it became a showcase of Coffee-Tek’s customer support. We connected with the factory technicians, ran a few troubleshooting attempts, and ultimately decided to replace the unit entirely. The new roaster was shipped, and The Cheesy Corner was back to roasting with little downtime. Here’s what David & Phyllis Cook had to say about the whole experience:
Hi Everyone,
I am sure I have missed someone here, but I wanted to ensure this message reached everyone involved in any way, shape, or form in resolving this issue. If anyone was missed, please ensure their efforts are appreciated.
Phyllis and I have both run our own businesses for many years. We know that sometimes things don’t go as planned or something can break. However, we also know what great customer service is. It is the lifeblood of any business. You can have the best product in the world, but a lack of customer service can destroy the entire business.
After the amount of time, concern, and expense that everyone who was contacted and had a hand in resolving this issue, we both want to say the customer service is ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING! Everyone kept following up to see if it was resolved and ensured this was kept in the forefront until it was resolved.
We fully appreciate the efforts that were put in by all to “Ensure the customer is taken care of”.
Regards
David L Cook and Phyllis
A Roasting Success Story
Phyllis and David’s leap into coffee roasting may have started with curiosity, but it quickly turned into a meaningful part of their broader vision. While their in-house roasting set up is no longer active at The Cheesy Corner, it’s played a key part in inspiring the launch of their new business: Cloudy Bay Coffee Company. Keep your eyes open for this new shop selling roasted coffee and quality teas.
What makes a roasting journey successful isn’t just the equipment – it’s the alignment between the business, the goals, and the guidance behind the purchase. For Phylllis and David, the Solar Eco roaster and Avirnaki filtration system made roasting accessible and manageable.
At Coffee-Tek, we’re proud to support passionate small businesses stepping into the world of coffee roasting. Whether you’re a cheese shop, bakery, or café dreaming of selling your own roasted coffee, we’ll help you find the equipment that fits your needs and stick with you every step of the way. Thinking about roasting in-house? Contact us to learn how we can help.
Contact UsTestimonial from David & Phyllis Cook
The Cheesy Corner
Artisan Cheese, Coffee & Gourmet Food Shop in Stayner, Ontario Canada.
Website: www.thecheesycorner.com
“We’re very happy with our new roaster!
We’ve started roasting with the Solar Eco and Avirnaki Smoke Elimination System and are coming up with fantastic coffee. You can smell the coffee roasting, but absolutely no smoke. The setup went smoothly — thanks for the walk-through, Peter and James!
It’s idiot-proof. There are good presets, but you have the ability to come up with your own personal roast. If you are just starting out and are a beginner like us on how to roast, this is for you.”
– David & Phyllis Cook –