Hi. I’m Mark Foster. I started FosterBuilt Coffee in 2012 in the Catskill Mountains of New York. I live between Bovina, New York, and Detroit, Michigan.
The perfect cup of coffee has always been a subjective conversation. For me, it all started with perfecting cappuccinos for house guests when I first moved up to the Catskills. I found that sourcing fresh beans nearby was difficult. After researching home-roasting, I ordered some beans from Sweet Maria's online and started experimenting with a countertop roaster. The yield was so small that I could barely serve my friends, but I was hooked. Despite the fact that it smoked out the whole kitchen, I learned in those one-pound roasts to listen for the crackling sound precisely when it went from a medium to a medium-dark. With an eye for expansion, I found a kit to convert an old barbecue into a coffee roaster with a rotisserie and a metal basket inside. Productivity went up to 12 lbs per roast. Word got out and I was able to supply local stores, but it was still nonstop roasting. Finally, with the junkyard barbecue as my prototype, I built a 40 lb roaster from a 55 gallon drum and an old horse-racing carriage which I still use today. (See the video) Restaurants and shops order 10 to 20 lbs at a time, so I'm able to knock out 2 or 3 orders in a single roast and have it on their shelves the next day. Come for a visit and see the whole backyard operation. We'd love to have you by.