The Down to Earth Dish on Local Food: Speakeasy Coffee Company

by Erin McNelis

Fresher, healthier, and more delicious- eating local food is full of benefits. However, it’s rare to find a restaurant willing to put forth the effort to remain so committed to utilizing local food.

That’s exactly why locals flock to Down to Earth Café in Perkasie. Owner J. Ryman Maxwell has created a warm atmosphere full of the freshest food. This spring, we’re highlighting just a few of the ways that this quaint cafe integrates local ingredients from area farms and businesses into their daily dishes.

We’ve already told you about Down to Earth’s local sources for farm fresh veggies. And we went behind the scenes to find out exactly where their meat is raised. But what about your morning cup of Joe? Do you know where your beans are roasted?

At Down to Earth Cafe, locals indulge in a fresh cup of coffee with beans that were roasted locally in Pennsburg, PA at The Speakeasy Coffee Company, a small batch specialty coffee roaster located in Montgomery County.

While Speakeasy opened just about 18 months ago, coffee roaster and cofounder Nelson Floyd has always loved coffee, and not just to drink.

“I have always been interested in the coffee shop atmosphere and the community that a coffee shop creates,” explains Floyd. He played in a band with a head roaster at a coffee company in the region, and the company was looking for an apprentice. He went for it, was hired, and that was where he learned the roasting side of the industry, as well as poring over books and internet articles. He has been roasting for four or five years, and cofounded his own small batch specialty coffee company.

“I buy high quality green coffee and offer a variety of signature blends and single origin coffees,” says Floyd.

“I heard that Ryman was looking for a new coffee supplier. I took him some samples, and he became my first customer,” says Floyd. The two worked together to create a custom blend that is unique to Down to Earth Café. That is the only place to get it, and customers really enjoy it.

To sample offerings from these local businesses and farms, visit Down to Earth Café, 1141 N. 5^th Street, Perkasie.