“You Enjoy Myself” is a staple live performance by the Vermont improvisational progressive rock band Phish. Originally appearing on the band’s 1988 debut Junta, it is the single most-played song in the group’s repertoire, and typically exceeds 25 minutes in performance length. The 12/09/1995 version from the Times Union Center in Albany, NY is held by many to be the definitional version of YEM, by as with all things Phish, opinions differ.
Enjoy Coffee Roasters of Providence, RI is a progressive coffee roasting company, preparing to open its first physical retail space here in 2024 after several years of limited release coffees and pop-ups. “Enjoy really feels like an extension of myself,” says founder Justin Enis. An extension of the self, you enjoy myself… the self, the mind, the jam, it’s all the same. Settle in.
The 2024 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by Ceado and Dona. The 2024 Build-outs of Coffee is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Acaia and Ghirardelli.
As told to Sprudge by Justin Enis.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
Enjoy really feels like an extension of myself. Having been in coffee since 2009, I knew I always wanted to have a business that showcased my approach/”version” of what coffee and coffee culture could taste/look like. But as the years went on I didn’t know if it would ever happen or when I’d get the bravery to step into business ownership… welp, here we are!
Since a re-debuitng (Enjoy briefly existed from 2015-2017 as a vehicle for me to continue refining my chops as a roaster after leaving a QC Tech role at Equal Exchange) pop up and drop release of a sick coffee (Finca Santa Clara a insane carbonic macerated coffee produced by Jose Giraldo of Cafe 1959 – sourced by our good buds of Yellow Rooster Coffee) in November of ’22, we have since released one coffee per month slowly but surely growing the brand and wholesale footprint. This drop format has been a ton of fun taking my subscribers and customers on a month to month journey of sorts of what coffee can be. Each months volume has increased for 18 months straight and the momentum slowly convinced me that it was time to really give this a shot.
Things have been going GREAT which is what pushed me to “step up” and get a space and take a swing at doing this in a real way. Our roastery represents this step of a 15-year-long dream and so excited about how things are shaping up.
Once our roastery is operational, I plan to leave the drop model and glow up to “Enjoy 2.0” haha. I’ll aim to carry five to six single origins—including a ripping decaf—and a blend or two at all times. Right now, the debuting lineup is looking STACKED with some gems including: The Colombia Huila Magico #5 finalist via Coffee Quest, some beautiful Ecuador Typica Mejorado, a slew of juicy and vibrant Rwanda’s via Baho/Sundog Trading and some stellar experimental coferms and the like.
Exited to grow and get Enjoy into more hands as well as open our doors to the Providence community.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
Enjoy’s new home is in the Cathedral Art Mill in downtown Olneyville in Providence, RI. This mill has been in operation since the 1920s producing various metal works and just recently started renting out sections of a wing of it in the past year or so. We are one of the first tenants and it feels like the perfect fit for Enjoy. We have about 1,900 square feet on the second floor (don’t worry, there’s a freight elevator 🙂 ) of the mill with some windows facing the Woonasquatucket River that flows through Providence. The space will serve as our roastery and production facility as well as an event space for PVD. From green coffee forums, to public cuppings/various coffee education events, we also want the space to facilitate community for the community… Gallery nights, jazz sessions, etc. etc. etc.
What’s your approach to coffee?
I want specialty coffee to be super approachable and chill while also providing an impressionable experience. I aim to source a range of coffees that are dynamic, balanced, juicy, and sessionable and roast them to only highlight what magic is already there. Having been in the roasting world for about a decade now, I have some great relationships with importers who are doing truly awesome things with the famers and communities they’re working with.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
Yesss! We have a mix of old and new in terms of our roasters. We purchased a 1963 Probat UG22 from our buds at Huck out in Denver last April fully anticipating that being the heartbeat of Enjoy. But, a run in with Manhattan Coffee Roasters at New York City Coffee Fest last October got us super keen on Typhoon Roasters out of the Czech Republic. Sooo, we ended up digging in and purchasing a 5kg Typhoon which we are going to instal as our debuting machine. I think the Typhoon system is super impressive and really produces some exceptionally clean and sweet coffees. Typhoons are fully electric and fully convective roasting systems. They incredibly efficient and environmentally friendly when compared to gas roasters. We are going to be one of the first roasters in the US with a Typhoon at the helm which is rad, but also a bit nerve racking being on the cutting edge of this system. Obviously, there are tremendous aspirations for Enjoy seeing such groundbreaking coffees being produced on a Typhoon via Manhattan Coffee Roasters and we’re hyped to dig in! Enjoy will also serve as a Typhoon test-drive site for anyone to come through and see what the system is all about.
We also have a sick little weigh and fill from Seattle Coffee Automation. Their Quiet Weigh 25 is RADDDD – huge thanks to Peter Mark of Kuma Coffee for the rec!
How is your project considering sustainability?
Part of our decision to lean into the Typhoon Roaster system is because of the smaller environmental footprint and its efficiency as a fully electric roaster. I’ve been a gas-drum roaster for the past decade and truly love the machines – hence the 1963 Probat UG22 we bought from Huck last April… But, Typhoon’s ability to go fully electric, and eventually possibly fully or partially solar powered, really seems like a no-brainer (with the obvious consideration of the system still being able to produce excellent excellent coffee).
A second way we are keeping sustainability in mind at this stage is with our retail and bulk bags which are 100% compostable. We are also going to implement a reusable bucket system for our local wholesale partners. Something like five-gallon buckets with the Airscape/Planetary Designs bucket lids with the one-way valves on ’em to lessen the amount of single use packaging we are going through.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
July 1st is our stretch goal but shooting for August 1!!!!
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
Most of our build-out was handled by close friends and family to whom I’m forever grateful for. And I need to give a big shout out to my dear friend Gus Rosen-Bernstein who is responsible for our bag design and for growing the Enjoy brand’s world (beyond the sick hand-drawn logo created by Jason Lee back in the day). Gus’ ability to curate information by riffing with me on the ethos, vibe, and aesthetic that I am pushing via Enjoy blew my mind.
Thank you!
Thank you so much! Feels like a milestone filling this out having debuted in coffee the same year you all did! Grateful for your features and everything you’ve contributed to our industry.
The 2024 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by Ceado and Dona. The 2024 Build-outs of Coffee is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, and Ghirardelli.
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Sprudge Staff
August 5, 2024
