Evans Brothers Coffee

An award-winning family roastery in Sandpoint's historic Granary District, crafting direct-trade specialty coffees.

Evans Brothers Coffee was born from a series of winter chairlift conversations on Chair 6 at Schweitzer Mountain Resort during the winter of 2008 and 2009. Brothers Rick and Randy Evans, military brats who had spent years living in different parts of the country, decided to settle in the lakeside mountain town of Sandpoint, Idaho, to build a family business. Randy brought a decade of specialty coffee experience from Hawaii and Washington State, while Rick contributed a background in business development, sales, and marketing. Although they initially planned to open a modest, wholesale-only operation in a nondescript warehouse, a friend pointed them toward an empty building in Sandpoint's historic Granary District. Situated at 524 Church Street, next to the iconic granary tower, which is the oldest and tallest structure in town, the spacious site allowed the brothers to open both a roastery and a public café in September 2009. This decision transformed the business into a cornerstone of the North Idaho community, helping to revitalize a district that had sat quiet for years.

The roasting operation began humbly on a used L12 Probat roaster, but the brothers quickly established a reputation for exceptional quality and ethical sourcing. Rather than relying solely on large-scale importers, Rick and Randy prioritize direct relationships with producers, traveling frequently to coffee-growing regions. Their longest-running direct-trade partnership is with the Menendez family in El Salvador, who manage seven small farms, allowing the brothers to select specific lots based on shade, elevation, and processing. They also source from Maria Escobar in Colombia, whose exceptional coffee they discovered while serving as judges at Colombia's Best Cup auction. Working alongside importers like Atlas Coffee and Cafe Imports, they roast in small batches to highlight the distinct terroir of each origin. This meticulous approach has earned Evans Brothers national recognition, including four Good Food Awards and a third-place finish in USA Today's 2024 Best Independent Coffee Shop awards. Their signature roasts, such as the medium-roast Chair Six Blend and the organic, dark-roast Black Diamond Blend, pay direct homage to the rugged geography and active outdoor culture of the Idaho Panhandle.

The Sandpoint café and roastery is designed as an approachable, industrial-modern gathering space where weathered wood meets clean steel. Inside, sunlight streams through expansive windows, illuminating heavy timber tables made from reclaimed wood and walls decorated with vibrant local art. During the warm summer months, the large barn doors are swung wide open to let the mountain breeze circulate through the room. The full espresso bar serves meticulously pulled shots alongside pour-overs of seasonal microlots, including the Costa Rica Black Honey from the Las Lajas Micromill. The house menu features creative seasonal specialties, such as the Cardamom Bun Latte, made with a house-made cinnamon-butter-cardamom sauce, and the Uncle Rico Cortado, which combines orange peel, vanilla, espresso, and steamed cream with a spiced topping. Visitors can pair their drinks with a selection of pastries, breakfast burritos, and sandwiches, including vegan and gluten-free options. The space serves as a communal living room where skiers, mountain bikers, and local artists gather around the vintage roasting equipment to share stories, anchoring a world-class coffee program in the relaxed rhythm of a northern Idaho mountain town.

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