Since 2020, Surprenant, Beneski & Nunes, P.C. has been happily supporting local food spots by spotlighting a new one each month. A local business, specializing in estate planning and elder law, they're sending us out to great local places like Ground Floor in New Bedford, where they serve home-roasted coffee and introduce new creative flavors each week.
“Wait, what?! Fires?” I gasped as I took another sip of my iced brown butter latte.
“Yeah, we had one in here.” Jason, co-founder of Ground Floor Coffee, reflected on the chaotic early days of the business. Who knew roasting your own coffee could be such a dangerous process?
“The fire department came and everything… You’re roasting at such a high temperature that if the fan doesn’t cool it immediately, it starts a fire.”
Mel, Jason’s wife and co-founder of Ground Floor, confirmed the story was true. It was a steep learning curve. But they thought if they were going to open a coffee shop, they would go all in. It was her idea to open the coffee shop in the first place. (Mel remembers drawing floor plans for her dream coffee shop at the young age of 9.)
A year and a few fires later, they got it figured out. Jason and Mel talked to the roaster manufacturers extensively to get the process and flavor of their coffee just right.
“There’s so much that goes into it—drum speed, airflow, and temperature. We roast ours to three cracks, which is about 410 degrees. That’s the profile we have.” I believe them. Their coffee flavor is never too bitter or acidic.
As the conversation goes on, my latte dwindles quickly, and I turn over to the pastry counter. Pistachio croissants, cinnamon buns, and linguica rolls start calling my name, so I call on theirs - one of each please!
If you're a regular at Ground Floor, you'll notice their menu changes regularly.
“I have to know… who’s the mastermind behind the drink flavors and pastries?”
“Our chef!” Both Mel and Jason chime in, “He’s super creative. He’ll just go, ‘let’s do this!’ and we say yes. Yesterday he made a piña colada cake—it sold out in a few hours. But we always have a sandwich of the week and a drink of the week. It keeps things fresh, and our baristas enjoy brainstorming the next new thing too.”
Mel and Jason are just as experimental and creative as their chef. Ground Floor continues to evolve. Since opening, they’ve added an event space, a mobile coffee bar that they bring to local music venues, and they're always trying out all kinds of cool gadgets to improve their coffee and food-making processes.
Check it all out. Trust us, it's fire! 🔥🔥🔥
Ground Floor Coffee, 61 Merrills Wharf, New Bedford, MA 02740.
Photography by Liam Connor Photography.
***
Last post in the series:
River Junction in Marion has bar pizza is worth braving the rain for. We tried their famous Bees Knees pizza and then we were hooked. Learn more.