I’ve always been fascinated with the processes that go into the seemingly simple. I love those TV shows that let you peek behind the curtain to learn how various things are made. So, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to watch the process of roasting coffee beans at Pink Elephant Coffee Roasters in Heber. The Pink Elephant gathers and roasts beans from all over the world. Who knew so much work goes into something as simple as a cup of coffee?
What once started as a hobby for Mitch Baker, who owns Pink Elephant with his wife Kelly, has flourished into a successful roastery and cafe. Kelly explains, “We had a little less than a pound roaster that we had in our house, and we were doing a couple of ounces of coffee at a time and kind of just fell in love with sourcing the coffee, roasting it, introducing people to freshly roasted coffee, which is so different.”
Kelly gave me the grand tour of their roastery, and they’ve come a long way from a one-pound roaster. I was impressed by the sheer volume of beans they roast every day. Pink Elephant had stacks and stacks of 50-pound bags of green coffee beans waiting to be crisped to perfection. The raw beans look like green lentils, only a little bigger. Kelly enlightens me on the importance of the roasting process, “We don’t add any flavoring or anything like that; kind of like wine or chocolate, you’re highlighting the natural flavors that come with each bean.”
Coffee beans are the seeds of what they call a coffee cherry; each cherry has two beans. Usually, those beans are removed from the fruit and roasted, and that’s your typical coffee. However, the Pink Elephant does things a little differently. They have a blend called Nomad, where the fruit is left on the beans, giving the coffee a fruity taste, which is Kelly’s favorite.
At Pink Elephant, they haves meaningful names for each of their blends: Roam Roast, Solitude, and Nomad. Kelly explains it best, “It’s kind of a nod to the outdoors, getting outside or enjoying a cup of coffee out there.” The outdoors is the Baker’s favorite thing about living in Utah. When asked what she would consider her favorite hike in the valley, Kelly replied, “Dutch Hollow, the state park on River Road. We go there several times a week with our dogs.” Pink Elephant is so committed to the outdoors that they fund quite a bit of preservation locally in Utah, “We donate a portion of sales to public lands, the nonprofits that support that, and wildlife. So, we do Utah Open Lands, Sageland Collaborative, Rocky Mountain Elkhound Nation, and International Dark Skies. We try to do some that promote outdoor living, access, and wildlife.”
Recently, Mitch and Kelly took over the management of Ritual Chocolate Cafe a couple of doors down from the roastery. It hasn’t been too daunting of an experience since they also have a location in Park City. Ritual still manufactures chocolate in the same building but didn’t want to keep up with the cafe. That’s where Pink Elephant came in. While the name remains Ritual Chocolate Cafe, they lovingly refer to it as the “mocha cafe,” mocha being a combination of chocolate and coffee. In addition to being able to serve better coffee, they’ve also added their wares to the store, providing their blends for sale along with chocolate from Ritual. That’s not the only change they’ve made. Mitch and Kelly host an open mic night on Tuesdays. Mitch is a musician, and he wanted to give others the chance to perform in front of an audience. It’s not only limited to music, “We’ve had some poetry, and we’ve had comedy, covers, and a lot of original music. It’s been really cool to see. We have a lot of talent here in the valley. I was blown away by a lot of people.”
Mitch and Kelly have been happily married for 14 years; they left Ohio and moved to Utah the day after their wedding, putting down roots in Midway in 2014. The couple has a four-year-old and a three-month-old. When I expressed surprise at Kelly’s quick recovery, she just laughed, “We’re business owners, you know, you gotta go.” And go they do! Pink Elephant provides coffee for several cafes and restaurants around the valley, from Jade’s Cafe in Heber to Café Galleria.
As our tour ended, Kelly shared Pink Elephant’s motto: “Roam Free” A very fitting mantra to live by, to enjoy life, freedom, and exploration.
If you’re a coffee-lover, you’ll want to check out this local roaster!
Enjoy a freshly roasted coffee and support wildlife
pinkelephantcoffee.com
2175 W 3000 S Heber
