Something “Local and Delicious” is Brewing at Fisher

Nothing says good morning better than a warm cup of coffee. Well, nothing other than locally-brewed coffee from Evening Star Coffee Roasters. Fisher students, staff, and faculty were asked to vote on a new coffee roaster to supply Ward-Haffey Dining Hall. The winner? A woman-owned coffee company based 30 minutes away from the University, in Avon, New York.

The Fisher Dining team announced a local partnership with Evening Star Coffee Roasters in late October, expanding their dining hall offerings with the help of the campus community. The selection followed a two-day blind-tasting event, where  students and employees sampled a variety of roasts and voted for their favorite. Evening Star earned the top spot.

Evening Star Coffee Roasters has been producing coffee in the town of Avon, which is located in the Finger Lakes Region, for the last 16 years. The team has become famous for its unique style of roasting coffee beans by hand, which is believed to result in a more pronounced flavor and aroma characteristics.

“I wake up every day thinking about how we can improve the student experience, that’s what truly excites me,” said Interim Director for Fisher Dining Joel Kraft. “Students and employees spoke to us about bringing something fresh to the available coffee in the dining hall. And we thought, well, why don't we get their input? We now have better-tasting coffee, with beans prepared half an hour away.”

Kraft said Fisher Dining is grateful to everyone who participated in helping the team choose a new local coffee partner. The team is continuously working toward innovating the experience for students and employees across campus locations, such as its farm-to-fork program focused on growing herbs in-house for use in cooking dining hall meals.