How One Omaha Roaster Helped Put Nebraska on the Specialty Coffee Map
In a Midwestern state where specialty coffee arrived late, a roasting company founded in 2010 has driven much of the region's growth—and built a downtown Omaha café designed to teach curious customers what makes its coffee different.
By Riley Carter3 min read
Exposed brick, a turntable, and whitewashed walls lit by a towering bank of windows—the space has every hallmark of the polished modern cafés associated with major coffee cities such as San Francisco and New York. It just happens to sit in Omaha, Nebraska. The roomy coffee spot is surrounded by restaurants and breweries in the Old Market, a historic district on the rise a few blocks from the city's business center.
"It's definitely an exciting time to be here," says Ian Wiese, director of coffee and operations. "There are two or three roasters opening up every month, and coffee shops opening all the time."
That wasn't always Nebraska's story. Specialty coffee has only recently begun to make a splash in the Midwestern state, and a large share of the recent growth traces back to Beansmith.
The roasting company started in 2010 as a financial endeavor by cofounders Chris Smith and Jason Burkum. Seeing how little quality roasting existed in the region, they brought in Joe Marrocco of Cafe Imports to help them build a specialty coffee program in the Omaha suburb of La Vista.
A tasting room was later added to the roastery to give customers a point of connection, but as new roasters arrived in Omaha, enthusiasm in the suburbs faded and residents headed into the city for their specialty coffee experience. "We really needed a space to better showcase where Beansmith was going," Wiese says.
Beansmith opened its downtown Omaha location in 2014, with a design produced in partnership with the local architecture firm Alley Poyner Macchietto. "We wanted to make sure it was a great representation of who we were, and we really wanted to show off," Wiese says, describing how Alley Poyner crafted a design that captured the essence of the café's high ceilings and cast-iron structural elements while optimizing efficiency and customer interaction through the bar layout.
A long, open bar gives guests ample room to watch their coffee being made and to engage with baristas. Since specialty coffee remains a new concept for the city, Wiese says the team encourages curiosity and exploration—and places a strong emphasis on education. Staff host public cuppings every other week along with brewing classes, all at no charge. The coffee menu also rotates frequently, nudging guests to try unfamiliar things and ask questions about what's on offer.
"The market is so young," Wiese says. "We try to educate people on why our coffee is different and what's unique about specialty coffee."
1) Milk & Sugar: The long bar keeps customers interacting with baristas all the way to the condiment station, which sits conveniently close to the barista working the pour-over bar.
2) Manual Labor: Five to six origins round out Beansmith's coffee menu. The manual brew bar is equipped with three-cup Chemexes and Acaia scales. Rishi single-estate teas are also brewed at the pour-over bar. "We're huge tea nerds," says Ian Wiese, director of coffee and operations. "The baristas are drinking tea all day long."
3) Slay All Day: The featured single-origin espresso is pulled on Beansmith's two-group, gray-blue Slayer. Only one espresso selection is offered at a time, but the selection rotates as often as twice a day.
4) Systematic Storage: Beansmith uses a prioritization system to determine where items get stored. Items used once an hour get placed on shelves above the counter; items used once a day get stored below the shelf; things used once a day are placed in back stock.
5) Tower of Tunes: Beansmith didn't skimp on audio setup. A Pro-Ject record player spins tunes from an album collection stored on hand-crafted wooden shelves. Bowers & Wilkins speakers spread sound throughout the space, and a Rotel sound system is on standby when the record player isn't in use.
6) Clever Clover: The Clover point-of-sale system is built into the counter, complementing the shop's minimalist aesthetic without compromising efficiency.
7) A Sweet Treat: Beansmith carries baked goods from Omaha-based Sweet Magnolias. Offerings include homemade Pop-Tarts, donuts, and scones, along with savory egg-and-meat hand pies.
8) Education Station: Brewing guides, barista books, and other coffee resources are kept on shelves above the shop's cupping bowls. Staff cup together twice a week, and baristas regularly pull books from the shelf to share with curious guests.
9) Go for the Gold: A Curtis Gold Cup Brewer stands within reach of the register, giving baristas quick access to fill batch-brew coffee orders. Two neighboring Yama cold-brew towers handle the shop's cold coffee needs.
