Liz Kirchner
Brugh Roastery and Brew Lab has set out pretty potted plants, and a pile of smashed Amazon cardboard boxes flank the door under the big blue roof in the low white Farmer’s Insurance building at 407 Roanoke Street.
Luke Brugh and the gleaming 6.6-pound roaster in the sunny window of the Brugh Roastery and Brew Lab, which more interesting than a coffee shop, opens Monday on Roanoke Street.
Just a few weeks to opening, an enormous stainless steel coffee roaster gleams like locomotive in the airy glass-fronted space, the wooden tables and white urban-mod bucket chairs are still being assembled and a glossy little coffee tree in a cup sits on the sunny ledge.
A poster in the window listed Brugh’s online sales and its Indiegogo site, and says “Coming Eventually.” That’s a modest announcement for the busy coffee entrepreneurs, Luke and Cassie Brugh (yes, pronounced ‘Brew’) who are already selling coffee wholesale, by the pound, by the cup and by the bottle at farmers’ markets, bagel shops, and cafes in Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
“We knew that we wanted to have our home base be in Christiansburg,” Luke, a Christiansburg native, said. “Cassie and I love this community and feel like we are able to give back with something we are passionate about – aka coffee.”
The Brugh’s have been roasting coffee in the kitchen behind the space for nearly two years before deciding to open up out front. Busy, but walkable, Roanoke Street, anchored by the county government buildings on both ends, lined with small businesses and surrounded by neighborhoods, seems both an obvious and pioneering choice for a coffee shop.
“We’ve looked all over Christiansburg, and Roanoke Street gets a heavy amount of traffic, so it felt like a smart move,” Brugh said. “Also, after looking at a number of places, this is where we felt “pushed” to go – like it was where we were meant to be for the time being.”
The town thinks it’s smart too.
“Brugh Coffee has been a longtime supporter of and participant in the Christiansburg Farmers’ Market, and we’re excited to see one of our vendors making a big move like this,” Mellissa Demmitt, Christiansburg’s public relations director said. “We’re thrilled they’ve chosen to set up their roastery on Roanoke Street in Christiansburg – a great location for everything they plan to offer.”
So, what does this pioneering space plan to offer, and what is a “Brew Lab,” anyway? Constantly developing and growing as a business, Brugh says that the word “coffee shop” carries certain expectations that they’d like to elaborate on, showcasing both their coffee nous and the artistry of coffee.
“While we will have certain items one would expect to find in a “coffee shop” we are trying to add our own twist and create a unique experience. So, while we will have certain well-known items, like drip coffee, lattes, baked goods et cetera, we also want to keep things interesting by offering drink options that people probably haven’t tried before, like our 1032 Kelvin, which has ginger beer + cold brew coffee, or by serving a nano-lot coffee exclusively at the Brew Lab. As with a lot of what we do, people will have to come in to see what it’s all about,” he said.
Since then, the town’s building inspector has issued the last permit, a small launch party has been held and Brugh Roastery and Brew Lab will open Monday, Aug. 20.
“We will open Monday,” Brugh announced with a smiley face in his email.
Their hours are Monday – Wednesday: 7am until 2pm; Thursday: 7am until 1pm – we will set up at the C’burg Farmers Market from 3pm until 7pm; Friday: 7am until 2pm; Saturday we will be at the Blacksburg Farmers Market from 8am until 2pm he writes. The Brew Lab will be closed and Sunday closed.
