About Us

A little history

 The Coffee & Tea Exchange

In 1975, The Coffee & Tea Exchange opened its doors in a small storefront in East Lakeview.  Back then Steve, our founding father, roasted all of the beans right there in the store, which made the entire block smell like freshly roasted coffee.  The beans were then displayed in large wooden barrels (and still are to this day), so that customers would be able to see and smell the beans for themselves.  In this way Steve wanted to help educate people about their coffee, not simply hand it off to them. The newly enticed residents of Lakeview could smell the coffee (both inside and outside the store), see it for themselves, and then ask questions about it.  He taught customers that coffees from different countries had different flavor profiles, which allowed them to develop preferences for different locales.  He also taught them that different roasting levels gave the beans different flavor profiles.  Customers were able to decide for themselves which origin and roast they preferred.  

Nowadays, all the roasting is done at the warehouse location to accommodate larger quantities and longer roasting hours.

Dedication

Our Goals

Our goal, as an independent coffee roaster, continues to be providing the freshest coffee possible at an affordable price.  We keep our small operation running in much the same way that we started it 35 years ago.  Our shop maintains its original “mom n’ pop” vibe because we just don’t think that great coffee needs to come from a trendy environment.  We focus on providing a variety of diverse beans from all over the world to ensure that everyone can find their favorite.