Bigger and Bolder: Two Rivers Coffee Expands and Opens Roastery

In only four days, on January 17, Two Rivers Coffee will double its seating capacity when it relocates a few doors down its newly coffee house and roastery. The expansion includes in-house roasting capabilities. Coffee geek and owner Eric Yochim was conducting roasting operations off-site until now. "We've been given the opportunity to bring our roasting in-house and tell a story of the journey of coffee and create a visual connection for our guests on how that happens," Yochim explains. "I think it's really important, like going to a brewery; you want to see the whole process and I wanted to introduce that to our guests."

Eric Yochim bought the business in 2010 on a whim. Within two hours of getting a cup of Joe at the coffee shop, he received an offer to acquire ownership of Two Rivers, which was struggling at the time to make ends meet. Three and a half weeks and some loans from friends later, he owned a coffee shop in Arvada.

The mission quickly became serving the surrounding community. "Arvada has always been my community and I've always felt tied in here," Yochim says. "Our vision states that we really want to create moments of affirmation in people's lives. People want a place for community and want a place to belong. Everyone wants to be Norm from Cheers when they walk into a place. We just think that those moments of affirmation in people's lives really add up." Turns out that what makes social sense makes financial sense too: Two Rivers Coffee is thriving and finally can expand and integrate its mission further.

One of the most significant additions to the new café and roastery will be executive chef Christopher Teigland. The chef comes from a diverse culinary background that includes a stint in the kitchen of Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg at Blackbelly Catering. More recently, Teigland served as executive chef at Balistreri Vineyards. His goal now is to develop a menu that pairs well with coffee. Think pork belly spring rolls, homemade bread, and colorful soup.

The new Two Rivers Café & Roaster is located at 7745 Wadsworth Boulevard in Arvada.