{"id":564,"date":"2014-04-21T15:13:55","date_gmt":"2014-04-21T22:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/test.synecoretech.com\/?p=564"},"modified":"2015-06-30T14:22:17","modified_gmt":"2015-06-30T21:22:17","slug":"torque-coffee-roasters-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/torque-coffee-roasters-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Torque Coffee Roasters"},"content":{"rendered":"

[O]n a typically drizzly day in Vancouver, Washington, Ryan Palmer sits at a vintage, daisy-printed table in Torque Coffee Roasters\u2019 vast caf\u00e9 and roastery. While patrons filter in out of the rain, the shop owner details with wry humor the difficulties of owning a coffee company in the shadow of Portland\u2019s colossal coffee scene. \u201cWe could light ourselves on fire,\u201d he says with seriousness. \u201cWe get no media over here…magazines are the exception,\u201d he adds politely.<\/p>\n

The thirty-five-year-old shop owner goes on to describe a macabre incident that took place last spring, when one of Torque\u2019s employees was held up at gunpoint. \u201cNobody said a thing,\u201d Palmer laments. \u201cMy barista got shoved in a walk-in refrigerator by a guy wearing a Scream mask, and zero shits were given that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Owner
Owner Ryan Palmer. (Photos: Cory Eldridge.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the barista is fine, Palmer\u2019s sentiments might be apt. When incidences of note occur at caf\u00e9s in Los Angeles, New York, or Portland, which sits just over the Columbia River from Vancouver, they are usually thoroughly circulated via Twitter and the Internet\u2019s ample coffee blogs. In the coffee realm, the industry\u2019s biggest stars garner attention the way Hollywood celebrities do\u2014without really trying at all. Meanwhile, outside major metropolitan areas, smaller players dwell out of sight and often out of mind.<\/p>\n

Despite its humble surroundings, the roastery, which opened its doors almost three years ago, is making a name for itself. At February\u2019s Big Western competition in Los Angeles, in which barista Chad Bledsoe competed on behalf of the company, Palmer was surprised to meet attendees already familiar with Torque. \u201cWhen we\u2019re in Vancouver we have a much lower profile,\u201d he admits. \u201cBut I can go to LA and they already know all about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Our goal is to really form a good solid base here.\u00a0We won\u2019t be just a Vancouver company forever.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s less surprising when you consider that Palmer\u2019s career in coffee dates back to the late nineties. He worked in Los Angeles for Lamill; at Ceremony Coffee Roasters in Annapolis when it was still Caffe Pronto; coordinated events that helped organize the Denver barista scene; and most recently owned and operated a bottled cold brew coffee business called Meriwether\u2019s. Growing up, his father sold the kind of instant cappuccino machines often found at gas stations. Making light of this earliest introduction, Palmer calls his latest project a \u201crepayment to the coffee world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Torque
Torque is in a revamped auto body shop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At a glance the roastery is unique in several ways. First, its sheer size: The caf\u00e9 resides in a former auto repair garage, with gigantic east-facing windows, immodestly high ceilings, and a bar area the size of most urban coffee shops. A vintage Vittoria Lido roaster sits in one corner. Adjacent to the table where he\u2019s sitting, Palmer draws an invisible line where there will soon stand a wall cordoning the company\u2019s office and cold-brew bottling area. Even with the partition the room will be huge, but the space isn\u2019t mechanical or cold. Touches like quirky mosaic art, retro furniture, multi-use mason jars, and a rack of hand-screened T-shirts (\u201cThe \u2019Couve: It ain\u2019t Portland\u201d) lend Torque an affable flavor lacking in most Portland shops, where the aesthetic is typically stripped down and serious.<\/p>\n

\"CremaCoaster\"The caf\u00e9\u2019s other noticeable virtue is its earnest detail. Near the entrance a sleek espresso machine heads a long, central counter with a recessed pastry window, ending in a clean pour-over bar where metal-handled jars catch single-origin roasts. Mugware and bags of beans bear a simple, classic logo. (\u201cWe have our own font,\u201d says Palmer.) The attention to detail extends behind the bar where coffee, tea, and espresso are meticulously brewed, and syrups, chai, toddy, and chocolate sauce are all crafted in-house. Even teas are internally sourced. Palmer bought a local tea company last year, now headquartered down the street, and sells Torque all its blends.<\/p>\n

A block away from city hall, a few more from the county building, and walking distance from the city\u2019s port, Torque\u2019s ample space is put to\u00a0good use. The caf\u00e9 functions as Vancouver\u2019s everyman roastery\u2014albeit offering the quality of a big city operation\u2014and the people watching is wonderful. Aside from providing a central meeting place, Palmer and his staff also participate in local causes, from an annual back-to-school book drive to the sponsorship of several local sports\u00a0teams, including women\u2019s roller derby and youth cyclo-cross. Several nearby breweries tap ales laced with Torque\u2019s roasts, a popular food truck enjoys a semi-permanent home by the shop\u2019s entrance, and free parties like WesFest (a celebration of all things Wes Anderson) give locals an outlet for social nerdery.<\/p>\n

A Portland native who moved to Vancouver in high school, Palmer envisioned Torque as an opportunity to give back to the community. He\u2019s realizing that dream in what seems to be as many ways as possible. \u201cOur goal is to really form a good solid base here,\u201d he says, adding, \u201cWe won\u2019t be just a Vancouver company forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
A fig scone from Bakeshop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To that end, plans are already in the works for Torque\u2019s second and third locations. The first of these expansions, slated to open this fall in Vancouver, will serve coffee alongside wine, pairing the subtle flavor similarities between the two amidst much fancier architecture, including tiled archways, exposed wood, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Palmer also describes a yet-to-be-secured third location, likely in Portland, where patrons will bike-through for their coffee. When asked how he\u2019ll manage spillage for his two-wheeled guests, Palmer shrugs, feigning indifference. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reading through a veil of irony, it\u2019s clear he means it.<\/p>\n

\u2014Regan Crisp is <\/em>Fresh Cup’s associate editor.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vancouver, Washington’s everyman roastery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}},"beyondwords_generate_audio":"","beyondwords_project_id":"","beyondwords_content_id":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"categories":[24,17],"tags":[264,122],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTorque Coffee Roasters - 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