Coffee is a cup of comfort for many people in Clark County, and Hidden River Roasters has already created a loyal following for their artisan, small-batch coffee in their first year of operations.
The Camas-based company opened its doors in January 2018 by owners Brandon Pasa, David Metzner and Aaron Baldwin. Since then, they’ve worked hard to roast the best of the best in beans, while offering a gathering place for people to come together around coffee.
“We officially started Hidden River Roasters in September of 2016 in a structure that I built on the back of my house while my wife was out of town,” Pasa said. “We would sell our coffee to friends and family as well as to the public out of the front of my chiropractic practice in downtown Camas. It was only a short while … that we realized we were getting really good at what we were doing, and it became apparent that we needed a larger facility and permanent location.”
The owners of the company are all locals to the area, so setting up their business in Camas was a no-brainer. After finding their facility on 5th Avenue in Camas, the team got to work renovating the space. Now, the owners and their families are elbow deep in the coffee business and there are at least seven baristas working at one time to keep up with the growth.
Pasa believes their immediate success stems from several important factors.
“Our success is due to a clear vision, determination and starting where we were at, not where we someday want to be,” he said. “Hidden River Roasters stands apart for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons is our complete and total ridiculously strict attention to quality – from the green beans that we source from small co-ops, to the roasting and finally to the training of our baristas to produce the absolute best drinks possible. Not a day goes by that we aren’t scrutinizing our process and product.”
Pasa also explains that the atmosphere of the coffee shop is part of the reason people keep coming back.
“Our roaster is a place that feels like coming home to have coffee,” he said. “We hear regularly that people absolutely love to come and hang out because they feel like they’re going home to a simpler time and place and getting amazing coffee in the process. We want everybody to come on home for coffee and community.”
Hidden River Roasters is not just known around Clark County, either. The company has a growing fan base around the United States, and they ship coffee orders on a regular basis.
“As our name and business grows it carries with it a location and helps to build the reputation of our area as a place to visit and possibly call home as an integral part of the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge,” Pasa said.
The company is just starting its journey, but they already have plans to expand soon and have ordered new 20 kg roasters to increase their roasting capacity and begin onboarding new wholesale customers.
“Our future looks so bright we have to wear UV protective eyewear,” Pasa said. “We literally see no end in sight as the creative ideas that formed us keep coming and are lining up to be implemented. We are so excited to be a part of Clark County and represent it as our company grows across this great nation.”
Hidden River Roasters is located at 536 NE 5th Ave., in Camas.
