Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co

I came here as part of the St. Louis caffeine crawl and I have been dying to go back. Kaldi’s roasting facility is simply spectacular. They have such a large area that is perfect for your groups. I particularly loved the emphasis on the entire coffee preparation process, including serving the coffee. If you haven’t had a chance to try Kaldi’s coffee in St Louis, you really need to!
Our your started with a generic overview if the layout of the factory and then went into the equipment they used to roast the coffee, followed by their quality control approach. The staff here is extremely knowledgeable and really love what they do. They were especially sweet when I started bombarding our your guide with a million questions about how the flavor changes if you change (insert some random thing here). Poor guy! But he was so patient and took the time to explain things in terms that I could understand. Fun fact! Did you know that Blends are best roasted after mixing the beans together because the density changes differently for each bean? If you separate the beans, they normally will not roast evenly when you try to blend them together. Yep, that’s the kind of stuff they love talking about! So, real fun fact. Did you know they do free coffee cupping every Friday?

Ok, I’ve been to the secret Kaldi’s headquarters several times now, and I’ve got to say that I love the place, even though I hate coffee.
From 926lb sacks of coffee beans to delicate pastries to moan-​inducing hummus, Kaldi’s has something for everyone. The premium roaster uses local ingredients when possible, and they source coffee beans internationally at fair wages. Hell, they’ll even show you on their Pinterest board how to make cool stuff out of their burlap coffee sacks!
Baristas and tour guides are super informative, and this Midtown location makes for a surprisingly fabulous event space. Being surrounded by so much coffee history is inspiring and is a great backdrop for listening to (or participating in) panels of speakers.
Kaldi’s is a great local business that truly cares about the St. Louis economy. They’re excellent at social media and prop up other businesses and organizations when possible.
Ask Kaldi’s for a tour of the roasting facility and for a lesson in coffee «cupping.» Just don’t park in the gated lot across the street, as you might get, er, trapped.