Ascend Coffee Roasters founder Erin Nenow at California Roasting Collective in San Marcos, California. All photos courtesy of Ascend Coffee Roasters.
From the management of the iconic coffee shop called Old Californian Coffee Shop (also known as Aged Cal Coffee), a modern coffee roasting company called Ascend Coffee Roastery took to the air in the foothills of the mountains in northern San Diego County.
Erin Nenow is piloting a modern coffee roasting business in San Marcos that involves a set of shared commercial coffee roasting machines at a nearby California Roasting Collective.
Nenow says that in its sourcing efforts, the brand tries to focus on the quality of the coffee, but also on supporting progressive coffee cooperatives that are committed to improving the economic and social situation of gigantic groups of small-scale coffee farmers.
“We all know that farming is labor-intensive and demanding, and in some of these countries farmers are worse off,” Nenow told DCN. “The cooperatives are amazing because they support entire villages and thousands of farmers with our purchases. Some of them are super forward-thinking in terms of providing women with leadership and management roles as well.”
While the company now operates direct-to-consumer online sales, subscriptions and wholesale roasting, its operations began in Aged Cal, where its customers’ collective tastes were shaped over decades.
The San Marcos store opened in 1990 as Mocha Marketplace. In January 2011, it became Aged California when it was purchased by Craig and Giovanny Garcia, who hired Erin Nenow as a barista a month later.
Nenow rose through the ranks and assumed responsibility before eventually buying a stake in the coffee shop business in 2017 and taking over operations. As a roaster, her profiles were initially geared toward building rapport with existing customers, though some lighter roasts and fruitier options were also starting to find favor.
“Our house coffee has always been Costa Rican, single-origin coffee, so I didn’t want to stray from that,” Nenow said. “I also kept our espresso customary and on the gloomy side of the spectrum. I didn’t want to confuse our customers. But I also enjoyed introducing modern options to our customers through this venture.”
The same can be said about the café, which Nenow has put her stamp on since taking over. While maintaining the coziness of the interior, the sense of local history and the warm, all-day atmosphere, Nenow has also launched a smartphone app for loyalty programs and ordering ahead.
“Part of the appeal of Aged Cal Coffee is its heritage, so we also want to stick to our own Aged California style and feel. The attitude of the staff, being welcoming and helpful, is the foundation of the business,” Nenow said. “We’re a coffee shop you can hang out in. But we also want to be swift for people on the go. There’s no reason you can’t get high-quality organic coffee, roasted and extracted to perfection, and get where you need to be on time.”
Operating from Ascend Coffee Roasters, Aged Cal Coffee is located at 1080 W San Marcos Blvd #176 in San Marcos, California. Tell DCN editors about your modern café or roastery here.
