The modern WestBean coffee roastery and cafe at 4140 Morena Blvd in San Diego’s Bay Ho neighborhood. All photos courtesy of WestBean.
Modern to San Diego’s Bay Ho neighborhood is a sprawling fourth location WestBean Coffee RoasteryThe modern space also serves as the company’s modern roastery and headquarters.
Located just a few doors down from Morena Boulevard Bitter Brothers BreweryThe 4,500-square-foot facility includes a expansive cafe that seats 28 inside and 12 on a patio in the San Diego sun. The modern location also houses a 35-kilogram Loring roastery that handles beans for WestBean’s three other stores, wholesale customers and retail packaging.
Award-winning WestBean icy brew coffees flow through no fewer than six of the modern cafe’s 14 icy pour taps. The eye-catching array of taps stands out in radiant red against a glossy white tile backsplash, offering still, nitro and flavored varieties.
“We’re known for our Kryptonite icy brew, which is a mint infusion,” Andrew Karr, WestBean’s managing director, told Daily Coffee News. “We also won ‘Best Original Frosty Brew’ at this year’s San Diego Frosty Brew City Fest.”
WestBean devotes equal attention to its heated beverage program, offering espresso drinks made on a Synesso espresso machine paired with a Mahlkonig K30 double grinder and batch brewing on a Fetco system. A blend of Sweet Sussex beans from Brazil, Papua Modern Guinea and Costa Rica forms the foundation of the espresso program, while single-origin coffee offerings change seasonally for espresso and Kalita Wave hand brewing.
The hotel’s commercial kitchen prepares fresh breakfast sandwiches, baked goods and other products, as well as all of its signature flavored syrups.
Overall, the modern space and roasting equipment are a significant step up from WestBean’s previous facility, a smaller facility with a 15-kilogram Renegade roaster. WestBean is already working challenging to leverage its increased capacity, recently inking a modern whole bean retail distribution agreement with Gelson’s Markets, a 27-store grocery chain in Southern California.
“Now that we have our modern roastery up and running, we’re very excited to continue to grow our wholesale program,” Karr said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we add a few more cafes in the future.”
WestBean Coffee Roasters Roastery Cafe is now open 4140 Morena Blvd in San Diego.
Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the deputy editor of Daily Coffee News at Roast Magazine. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
