The Roanoker March/April 2017 - 18

THE GIST

A New Kind of Coffee Experience

The Red Rooster Tasting Room gives coffee lovers an opportunity
to learn more about the process of their beloved beverage.
THE WASENA NEIGHBORHOOD is celebrating the recent arrival of the Red Rooster Tasting Room, a coffee bar unlike any other. This is
not a traditional cafe that you pop into for a to-go
cup, but rather, a place where visitors can experience and learn all about single-origin coffees.
"We want people to know and understand
specialty coffee and to see that coffee can be
more than just a hot, caffeinated beverage that
gets them going in the morning," says accounts
manager Philip Hatter.
At the tasting room, customers can taste coffees, many of them award-winning, before purchasing them by the bag. Hatter says the main
focus of the space is coffee education. Along with
the information you'll learn while tasting coffees,
they offer two-hour coffee classes to the public
on topics such as brewing coffee at home, coffee
history and tasting coffee, among others.
"We're also what is known as a coffee lab,"
Hatter says. "It's a place to train other coffee professionals and baristas, as well as dial in our coffees on a variety of brewing devices."

Red Rooster Coffee is roasted in small batches
and brewed down the road in Floyd. As people
become more aware of what they purchase and
why, the owners decided to reach into the Roanoke area to offer coffee education, as well as
a place to purchase bags of coffee and brewing
accessories.
The tasting room is located in Wasena, a location they feel is an up-and-coming neighborhood with a lot to offer. With the Wasena Tap
Room, the Green Goat and River Rock Climbing offering food, beverages and activities, it
was an easy decision to join the party. The spot
they've selected is growing fast, with a yoga studio and barber shop joining the tasting room's
sweet real estate spot.
"We're happy to be an addition to this community and grow with the neighborhood," Hatter adds.
Hatter and the team are excited to share the
hard work they've done right in our own backyard. Because many people today are used to
and enjoy experiencing beer and wine in tasting

rooms, they believe great coffee is an extension
of that, and a beverage "on par" with a great craft
beer. For anyone who wants to be adventurous,
this might be just the ticket.
"We hope when people come in, they feel
welcome, but also that they have their minds
blown by all of the wonderful diversity in the
various coffee regions," Hatter says. "We also
hope when they leave, they have a better understanding of where their coffee comes from
and maybe even begin to change up their coffee
routines." -LIZ LONG

SHE'S INTERNATIONAL BOUTIQUE
Bringing the world's fashion to Roanoke
YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SPOTTED

She now finds herself in a "dream

can't find in America. Shoppers will find

there's no obligation to purchase.

one of downtown's newest addi-

spot" downtown, right across from

jewelry from Turkey, jeans from Brazil,

Women love that special touch."

tions, She's International Boutique.

Billy's and the Taubman Museum of

purses from Amsterdam and London,

Some items, such as the pashmi-

Now located at 108 Market Street,

Art. She's thrilled with the location,

pashminas from India and so much

nas, can be ordered in advance and

this boutique carries a multitude of

and says the city works well with her

more. It's the perfect way to bring parts

with the color of your choice, which is

items including clothing, jewelry, de-

to make sure parking, which is her

of the world right into your own closet!

convenient for weddings or bridal par-

signer bags and more, many hand-

biggest battle, isn't a dealbreaker for

While many visitors are tourists,

ties. Many have Virginia Tech or other

crafted and imported from many

shoppers.

Speaks wants Roanokers to know

school colors that work as great gifts,

Speaks, a military brat raised in

about the great items in her store.

or you can have them custom-made.

Diane Speaks, a former flight at-

London, Japan and New Jersey, mar-

She's International Boutique has items

In addition, She's International Bou-

tendant who found herself needing

ried her Baltimore-bred husband

of all price ranges, whether it's luxury

tique is doing a program through the

a Plan B, loves to shop and felt it was

45 years ago in Japan. They have

jeans that make you look like a celeb-

United Way for support and education.

the perfect fit. She originally opened

four children, each hard at work on

rity, or jewelry for under $20. They also

For every piece of star jewelry sold, or

her store in Salem, where she's lived

their own successes, and Speaks is

do personal shopping for clients.

scarves and jewelry with a star on it, 30

for over a decade. As she brought

proud of her previous career in air-

items in from all over the world,

line travel.

countries.

her boutique grew so large that she
needed to change the location.

18 | MARCH/APRIL 2017

"We know a lot about our clients

percent goes to RYSE for United Way

and their style, how they love to dress,"

to help families and children get off

While Speaks also buys US prod-

Speaks says. "Shopping for them, I

the streets.

ucts, most of her items are ones you

can find things that fit her, and if not,

-LIZ LONG

THEROANOKER.COM

http://www.THEROANOKER.COM

The Roanoker March/April 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker March/April 2017