Broast TN Coffee Roasters

Broast TN Coffee Roasters brings a second in-house roaster to downtown Cookeville's West Spring Street corridor, which by itself says something about the ambition of the local coffee scene. Two craft roasters within a block of each other, both doing original work with direct-trade, certified organic beans, is not something most cities this size can claim.

Broast's roast profiles lean differently from Vertical Coffee Company's down the street, which makes the two shops worth comparing for anyone serious about coffee. The roasting philosophy at Broast tilts toward highlighting the natural sweetness and origin character of the beans rather than heavy roasting, and the approach shows in the cup. Direct-trade sourcing means Broast has direct relationships with the farms they buy from - a step beyond fair-trade certification that provides traceability and typically better pay for growers.

The space on West Spring Street is smaller and more intimate than some of the other downtown options. Morning weekday hours are the best window for securing a table with power if you're working. For coffee enthusiasts who want to explore what Cookeville's downtown coffee scene is doing, a morning spent comparing Broast and Vertical is a worthwhile exercise - two different visions of craft coffee, both worth knowing.