Account spotlight ⭐️ Boxcar Coffee Roasters

Boxcar was started in 2010 by husband and wife team, Vajra and Cara Rich, with the goal of building a world-class roasting company in their hometown of Boulder, Colorado.

After starting as a standalone roastery and building a small following by partnering with some amazing local restaurants and cafes, we opened the doors to our first cafe on the sleepy east end of Pearl St. in downtown Boulder, allowing us to showcase our coffees in an elevated and forward-thinking way. Since our inception we've added a bakery to our cafe that produces fresh seasonally focused pastries. It sounds understated but our focus has always been on simplicity and quality and allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves.

We sat down with Boxcar to get to know more about their personality, tastes in music, and what drinks they are cooking up this season.

Spirit Tea: "What song would you choose to be the soundtrack of your cafe’s soul?"

Boxcar: "What a question! We’ve had a bit of a tradition of Hip Hop Saturday and Jazz Sunday and find ourselves gearing the music based heavily on the time of year and weather. “Can I Kick It? by A Tribe Called Quest would be the Hip Hop Saturday soundtrack and “Places and Spaces” by Donald Byrd is the Jazz Sunday cafe vibe!"

S: "What drew you to Spirit Tea?"

B: "We've had a long standing focus on sustainable and long-lasting relationships with both our community and more importantly the producers we work with and this has always been at the heart of what we do. We saw and felt the same dedication that we have for sharing the passion and hard work coffee producers put into their craft being done through the tea that Spirit Tea shares and the stories they spread about the producers they work so closely with. "

S: "What’s your favorite season for business? Do you like the coziness of fall? The warmth and hustle of summer? The slowness of winter?"

B: "How can you possibly choose just one? Our focus at our cafe has always been on embracing the ever changing flavors of each season. Our bakery team always has something new coming around the corner to highlight the very best the season has to offer and we've taken a cue from them by adding a seasonal drink menu as well. But there is something to be said about the feeling of walking into a cafe on a brisk fall morning and the warming, cozy feeling that the time of year offers."

S: "Is there a crowd favorite tea?"

B: "The Matcha is such an undeniable crowd pleaser and our team has had so much fun incorporating it into seasonal beverages like our Spring Spritz, which is a sparkling lavender lemonade with Matcha floated on top that guests truly love. We also recently brought the Thai Silver Tip Oolong tea into the cafe this winter and fell in love with its subtle nuttiness and stone fruit characteristics. "

S: "Lastly, what is the most exciting venture down the pipeline? Any news you'd like to share?"

B: "We're in the final stages of opening up a new cafe in South Boulder and couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to further serve our community here in Boulder and create a whole new welcoming space for connection where we can share memorable moments day in and day out. "

Claim your chance to try Boxcar's spring sig bev, "Strawberry Field" and grab a matcha while you're at it in beautiful Denver, Colorado. ❁