GREENFIELD — Thirty years ago, brothers Sean and Darren Pearce, in their mid-20s, decided to start selling coffee. The business was funded by a mountain of credit card debt of about $30,000.
Today, Greenfield-based Fogbuster Coffee Works (formerly known as Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters) has grown to sell its signature air-roasted coffee throughout the Northeast .
Darren, who toured his warehouse facility at 47 Silvio Conte Drive on Wednesday, said he and his brother grew up watching their father grow his therapy practice and dreamed of starting a business together. He said he was After working in cafes and high-end restaurants in California, Darren noticed a lack of gourmet coffee businesses on the East Coast. Other than the Coffee Connections chain, which had about six stores in Massachusetts in the 1990s, most of which were acquired by Starbucks, the fine coffee business hadn't yet established a foothold locally, Darren said.
“I was in the restaurant industry, and cappuccinos and lattes were unheard of in that area. Coffee on the East Coast at the time was really bad,” Darren said. “Our business plan was his one page: 'Get an account, sell coffee, make money.' It was very far away. ”
Realizing that this business was harder to break into than they had imagined, the brothers began buying large quantities of coffee from California to sell in New England. They spent years shipping coffee from California for $1 a pound and selling it at university events and kiosks before opening what Darren calls New England's first drive-through coffeehouse on Amherst Road in Sunderland. . The brothers' signature Air Roaster was also on display at the all-in-one roaster facility, live music cafe, and wholesale store.
In contrast to traditional coffee bean roasting, the air roasting process completely removes the outer skin of each bean, removing the burnt taste from the coffee. As Sean explains, this process gives the coffee a smoother, more dynamic flavor whether it's hot or cold.
“When you make cold brew coffee, you really focus on steeping it for a long time,” says Sean. “But what happens is that you end up drawing in negativity. When you focus on your coffee, the better the quality of the coffee, the better your ability to concentrate. So our coffee starts out very It’s smooth and even concentrated to cold brew, it’s just as smooth.”
Fog Buster's current Greenfield location, which the brothers have occupied for seven years, sells canned cold brew, beans sourced from around the world, ground coffee, and “frac packs” (prepackaged bags of coffee grounds). A wide range of coffee products are produced. You can brew a large pot of coffee at once.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company initially announced plans to hold a large block party to announce its rebranding from Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters to Fogbuster Coffee Works. The company changed its plans and struggled to stay open while in-person business was closed across the United States. . Darren said the pandemic has forced the company to expand its retail distribution, and the business aims to continue to grow in the coming years.
“We're always looking only at the end. I feel like we're just getting started. I love working with my brother. Even though we've been through trials and tribulations, , we grew up in the same room and always played sports together. It's great to work with him,” Darren said. “Our sister Nicole has worked for us off and on for 30 years, our sister Michelle has worked for us, our parents have delivered for us, our wives have worked with crying babies, He drove the car and did all the deliveries for us. Progress has been slow, but we love it.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.
