Conscious Cup starts roasting more than 100,000 pounds of coffee in Crystal Lake

The smell of fresh paint and freshly roasted coffee beans fill the rooms of Conscious Cup’s new roasting facility in downtown Crystal Lake.

Upon entering, there is an area that looks like a cozy office kitchen decked out in state-of-the-art espresso machines. In the next room, there is a giant matte-black coffee roasting machine that roasts more than 55 pounds of beans at one time. Pallets of coffee beans in burlap bags are lined up around the room.

This is the Crystal Lake-based coffee shop’s new roasting facility that opened almost two months ago. Located at 110 W. Woodstock St., the 5,700-square-foot building is the new home for producing Conscious Cup syrups, cold brew, chai and coffee.

The welcoming kitchen at the entrance is a “tasting lab” for training employees, manager Michael Shipley said. Employees can gather to try out new roasts and create new coffee blends. Shipley said he also plans to host catering and wholesale consultations there.

“Our focus is to have the best possible community roastery around,”

—  Michael Shipley, Conscious Cup manager

People could be able to visit the facility as early as September for free coffee tastings and sensory analysis classes. Shipley said he hopes to offer classes like at-home barista training, food pairings and aroma classes.

“Ever since we started we dreamed of having a place like this,” Shipley said.

Conscious Cup was started in 2006 by Jack and Roseanna Shipley, Michael’s parents. They still oversee much of the company while Michael focuses on managerial operations, he said.

Along with roasting coffee, the facility is where syrups, chai and sauces are made from scratch. Shipley said he thoughtfully chooses simple but top-quality ingredients for all the recipes.

“We know it’s the best quality from the coffee, to the milk, to the chocolate,” he said.

Shipley has big plans to grow into the space including selling bottled sauces and syrups along with canned cold brew for wholesale orders and directly to customers.

Currently, the company is expanding to wholesale, catering, online sales and subscription coffee deliveries. Conscious Cup also supplies coffee to a Hyatt hotel in Oakbrook. Shipley hopes to expand partnerships now that the company can handle more and larger orders.

Conscious Cup has a total of five locations in Crystal Lake, Cary, Barrington, Libertyville and Palatine.

The two oldest locations, Barrington and Crystal Lake, are getting remodeled with an updated look.

Renovations are complete at the Crystal Lake shop, located at 5005 Northwest Highway. It has been repainted with new decor and seating and has accessibility upgrades to the coffee bar. Previously, all production and roasting was done at the Crystal Lake coffee shop location.

In Barrington, at 100 E. Station St., the shop plans on expanding to next door, which previously was an ice cream shop. Renovations are expected to happen from August through September.

Conscious Cup is not looking to expand to more locations any time soon, Shipley said. For now, he is looking to strengthen the current locations with community and local business relationships.

“Our focus is to have the best possible community roastery around,” he said.