SHOP TALK FOUR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS DISCUSS BUSINESS INSPIRATION, WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT BEING THEIR OWN BOSSES AND THE UNIQUE ADVANTAGES OF LAUNCHING A COMPANY IN OUR TOWN BY L AURA ZOLMAN KIRK PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIANA BROUGH
A coffee entrepreneur supports communities near and far Scott Conary President and Green Coffee Buyer, Carrboro Coffee Roasters, Open Eye Cafe and Caffe Driade
N
umber of employees 8 in the roastery, and between 35-40
in retail. Start dates for companies Caffe Driade, 1995; Open Eye Cafe, 1998; Carrboro Coffee Roasters, 2004.
What in your path led you to open up the coffee shops and later the roastery? I came to coffee early as a passionate hobby
while [working] as a biochemist in research and development discovery labs. It all started with this love of coffee and wanting to know as much about it as possible and eventually to have as much control over every step as was reasonably (some would say unreasonably) possible – as is my nature. Mostly, though, I wanted to be able to answer any questions I – or other people – might have about the process and what it actually takes to grow, roast and make exceptional coffee. Right now, your inspiration is Always the farmers, their families and communities, who have worked for so many years (generations) with hardly any 52
chapelhillmagazine.com December 2017