Reading Coffee Roasters

I stopped in this factory outlet to see what it was all about, after reading an appealing review in a local magazine. I should have known when the person standing by the door greeted me with an aggressive manner. The coffee may be good, but I haven’t tried it. It is way over priced for Berks County, and the owner was obviously upcharging as we spoke!
What really made my visit most memorable was the obnoxious, rude and aggressive demeanor of the owner. He might have been trying to be gracious, to the best of his ability. He did offer to roast the beans and let me observe the process. However, the interaction was so unpleasant, with his intentional insults to my community and to the rest of society, well, please stay away from this place at all costs.
If you really love their coffee, have them ship it to you!

coffee as good as it gets

I love buying local but was turned off to this place back when it was in Reading, in a charming converted rowhome over by the Reading Outlet Center — an area that is now being redeveloped by the members of the Lancaster-​born group Live, yes really, the placenta song from the 90s The tiny space was stuffed with amazing coffee gear and European snacks, and I sent every coffee freak I knew there, at first.
This is what happened. The owner cast a suspicious eye and sour demeanor when I returned one day with my paper Reading Roaster coffee bags to have them refilled. Now this was about 10 years ago, so reusing packaging was less common. He reluctantly and grumpily agreed to fill them, griping that the paper bag companies needed to make money too (!!!). Um, what??? Wasn’t it Jesus himself who said to reduce, reuse, THEN recycle? ;-) I felt I should get some points for focusing on the reuse step.
I said, «But I am saving you packaging.» He looked like he wanted to spit at me, an unexpected anti-​green slap in the face. I was dumbfounded but also amused at the strange ways of Berks County.
I ended up researching coffee roasting online and now use the Coffee Fool website, which plans out its orders and roasts to meet its customers needs, being obsessive about freshness as they are. They don’t stockpile stale beans and foist them upon unsuspecting customers. Great personal service too and discounts for subscription plans.
I still will pick up an occasional RR bag of beans when I am desperate, but the owner’s treatment of my innocent green ways will never be forgotten.