Our Story
From a garage roaster's dream to San Antonio's most beloved coffee destination. This is the story of SA Artisan Roasting.
From a garage roaster's dream to San Antonio's most beloved coffee destination. This is the story of SA Artisan Roasting.
SA Artisan Roasting was born in 2017 from a simple obsession: the pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee. Our founder, Miguel Ramirez, spent fifteen years as a software engineer before a life-changing trip to a coffee farm in Guatemala's Huehuetenango region transformed his understanding of what coffee could be. Standing on that misty hillside, watching farmers hand-pick ripe cherries with generations of knowledge guiding their hands, Miguel knew he had found his calling.
He returned to San Antonio with twenty pounds of green coffee, a secondhand popcorn popper, and an unshakeable conviction that his hometown deserved better coffee. Those first experimental roasts happened in his garage on Brackenridge Avenue, with neighbors stopping by to ask about the intoxicating aromas wafting through the alley. Within six months, he was selling bags at the Pearl Farmers Market, and the response was overwhelming.
By 2018, Miguel had partnered with his sister, Isabella, a trained pastry chef with a natural palate for flavor profiling. Together, they leased a small space in the Pearl District, purchased a restored 1972 Probat UG-22 drum roaster, and officially opened SA Artisan Roasting. That vintage Probat, which they affectionately named "Lola," remains the heart and soul of our roastery to this day.
"Great coffee is not a luxury. It is a daily ritual that deserves care, attention, and respect for everyone who touched that bean before it reached your cup."
- Miguel Ramirez, Founder
Miguel Ramirez starts roasting green coffee in his San Antonio garage using a modified popcorn popper. Sells first bags at Pearl Farmers Market to enthusiastic neighbors and curious passersby.
SA Artisan Roasting opens its first dedicated roastery space at 312 Pearl Parkway. Isabella Ramirez joins as co-owner and head of quality control. The team acquires "Lola," a restored 1972 Probat UG-22 drum roaster.
Miguel travels to Huila, Colombia and Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia to establish direct trade relationships with farming cooperatives. SA Artisan begins roasting single-origin offerings year-round.
During the pandemic, we launch our online store and monthly subscription service, bringing fresh-roasted coffee to doorsteps across Texas. Subscriber base grows to over 500 households in the first year.
We begin supplying specialty coffee to over 30 restaurants, cafes, and hotels across San Antonio, including partnerships with notable establishments in Southtown and the River Walk corridor.
SA Artisan Roasting transitions to 100% compostable packaging and renewable energy for all roasting operations. We donate over 5,000 pounds of spent coffee grounds to community gardens.
SA Artisan Roasting is named Best Coffee Roaster in San Antonio by the Express-News Reader's Choice Awards. We expand our tasting room and launch Saturday public cupping sessions.
Every great cup of coffee starts at the source. We believe in transparency, fairness, and building relationships that last generations.
While fair trade certification is a good start, we go further. We visit every farm we source from at least once a year, negotiate prices directly with farmers (typically paying 30-50% above commodity rates), and invest in infrastructure improvements for farming communities. Our Colombian partner, the Finca El Paraiso cooperative in Huila, has used our premiums to build a new wet mill and school for farmers' children.
We source exclusively from farms that practice shade-grown cultivation, which preserves forest canopy and biodiversity. Our Ethiopian partners in the Gedeo zone maintain traditional forest coffee gardens that have been cultivated for centuries without deforestation. We also offset the carbon footprint of every shipment from origin to our Pearl District roastery.
We cup every lot before purchasing and only buy beans that score 84 points or above on the SCA scale. This means exceptional cleanliness, distinct flavor attributes, and zero defects. Our green coffee buyer, Isabella, has a Q-Grader certification and personally approves every lot that enters our roastery. There are no shortcuts in our sourcing process.
We do not chase the cheapest beans or switch suppliers season to season. Our oldest relationship, with the Worka cooperative in Yirgacheffe, dates back to our very first year. By committing to multi-year purchasing agreements, we provide farmers with financial stability and they reward us with access to their finest micro-lots before they hit the open market.
The passionate people behind every bag of SA Artisan Roasting coffee.
Founder & Head Roaster
Former software engineer turned coffee obsessive. Miguel oversees all roast profiles and travels to origin countries twice a year. SCA Certified Roaster with 8 years of experience behind the drum.
Co-Owner & Green Coffee Buyer
Q-Grader certified with a background in pastry arts. Isabella's refined palate guides our sourcing decisions and blend development. She manages all origin relationships and quality control protocols.
Production Roaster
James joined as an apprentice in 2019 and quickly earned his place at the Probat. He specializes in developing roast profiles for our single-origin offerings and manages our wholesale production schedule.
Tasting Room Manager & Barista
Kim leads our Saturday cupping sessions and manages the tasting room experience. With previous experience at specialty cafes in Austin and Portland, she brings world-class barista skills to every cup she pulls.
We are not just located in San Antonio; we are woven into its fabric. Our Pearl District Blend was developed specifically to complement the flavors of Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine. Our cold brew concentrate is a staple at summer gatherings from Alamo Heights to Southtown. And our roastery has become a neighborhood gathering place where locals come for Saturday cupping sessions, first dates, and quiet mornings with a good book.
We give back to the community that has given us so much. Ten percent of our annual profits go to the San Antonio Food Bank. We donate spent coffee grounds to community gardens throughout Bexar County. Our roastery hosts free "Coffee 101" workshops for local teachers, nurses, and first responders. And every December, we partner with the Salvation Army to provide free hot coffee at holiday distribution events across the city.
San Antonio is a city built on hospitality, warmth, and an unwavering love of good food and drink. SA Artisan Roasting is proud to be part of that tradition, one carefully roasted batch at a time.
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