About Us

Through my own association with the old Homestead I have learned to revere family place as much as family, itself.  I consider this company to be my own homesteading endeavor, and even though we have a new, permanent home…the journey continues.Oly Anderson, Oregon homesteader, Tim Hurd's Great Grandpa

 

In July of 1992 my wife, Nancy, and I opened the humble doors of our beginning in a well-worn outbuilding that we restored for the occasion.  The heart of our business was an antique Royal No. 5 coffee roaster, manufactured in New Jersey some time in the 1920’s, which we affectionately named Grendel for all his temperamental smoke and fire.  Our success led us to a larger roaster of the same make and vintage, a Royal No. 7 (125-lb batch roaster) which quickly wore the moniker Grendel’s Mother, of course.  With these we learned well the art of classically hand-roasted coffee, accompanied by a few choice employees with the same love of coffee.  


Here, together, we blazed our roasting trail alongside that of Lewis and Clark, which led us to 279 W. Marine Drive, where in 2007, we renovated an historic building in Union Town Astoria.

Two new – still American made – coffee roasters manufactured by Idaho’s Diedrich Coffee Roasters now do the roasting duties, along with Steve DeLoe, our Roast Master.  (To this Come on in.... There's a couch for you to your right.day, the new roasters remain nameless….)  Better equipment, better place to work, the same choice employees along with some new ones…all loving the smell and taste of meticulously roasted coffee.


After five years in business we realized our work could mean more than the provision of work and money, and that is when we founded and sponsored the opening of The River Theater and became “The Coffee that floats the Arts.”  For this theater predominantly, and for many other artistic endeavors of this region as well. 

The retail section in the front of the building is Three Cups Coffee House, run by Carly and TJ Lackner and Leah Cristaldi.  This clean, well-lighted place for coffee (and more) affords a clear view of ship traffic on the Columbia River and, inside, a clear view of the roasting and packing floor, with our offices in the upper mezzanine.  Three Cups  is open seven days. 

If you come by, you can enjoy a cup of freshly roasted and brewed coffee or espresso, bite into a fresh scone, grilled panini, salads, quiche, and pies from our basement bakery.  Here is a great place for just about everything:  Coffee, Art, Readers Theater, classes, meetings, car washes, and on and on.  You can also grab some beans to take with you.

Sincerely,

Tim Hurd
Company Founder and President, and the rest of us at Columbia River Coffee Roaster.  

Tim, Nancy, Roastermaster Steve, Pollymom, Operations Master Jon, Bobbi & Bob, the twins. Tim, Nancy, Roastermaster Steve, Pollymom, Operations Master Jon, Bobbi & Bob, the twins.