CityView Magazine

54 | July/August 2016 feature P eople who love coffee love rituals. When they wake up, they brew their first cup and only then can begin their day. Maybe they prefer lighter roasts to darker roasts. Darker to lighter. Some may like mo- chas or cappuccinos or the buzz from a single shot of espresso, but have you ever thought about how coffee is roasted? I had the chance to visit Symphony Coffee Roasters and meet Tony Vazquez, a local coffee roaster in Hope Mills. Tony is from New York and moved to North Carolina aer retir- ing from the Army in order to be close to family. While living in Spain, Tony talked roasting techniques with the baristas. Abroad, he especially enjoyed the live music scene and other social aspects that he found prevalent in coffee shops overseas, and he began to consider a career in the coffee industry. Aer meeting several contacts, Tony met Mike Birky of Cactus Creek Coffee in Aberdeen, who ultimately helped him start his roasting business. Tony's passion for coffee roasting is clear. Behind the cafe at Symphony Coffee Roasters, Tony has his roasting room, or roastery, as he calls it. "Most people," he said, "haven't seen the process. ey think the roaster is the grinder." But he says that when people see it, they are very curious. Tony travels to the Balzac Brothers & Company warehouse in Charleston, South Carolina, once a month to get his imported coffee beans. e beans themselves come in 132 pound coffee bags from a variety of countries: Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Indonesia. BY JON JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW WONDERLY TONY VAZQUEZ OF SYMPHONY COFFEE ROASTERS IS A CAFFEINATED COFFEE ROASTER IN HOPE MILLS

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