Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Bond.
Hi Tanya, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We opened San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company in 1992 with a pretty simple idea: bring the laid-back, community-centered coffeehouse culture we loved in San Francisco back home to Atlanta. We wanted a place where people could hang out, slow down, and drink really good coffee long before “specialty coffee” was part of the everyday conversation. Atlanta gave us the perfect home for that vision: a city built on neighborhoods, creativity, and conversations that linger.
What started as a neighborhood coffee shop quickly became something much bigger. Over the years, our space has been home to book clubs and first drafts, quiet mornings and loud laughs, creative breakthroughs and lifelong friendships. We’ve watched ideas turn into businesses, strangers turn into regulars, and regulars turn into family. In true Atlanta fashion, it grew into a place where people from all walks of life could cross paths and feel like they belonged.
At the heart of it all is our hands-on approach to coffee. Doug has spent decades roasting, learning, teaching, and sharing his knowledge throughout the Southeast, including teaching classes at Emory University, and that passion continues to shape everything we do. We still roast all of our coffee in-house, bake all of our food ourselves, (except our bagels, and cakes! We get those from Emerald City, and Southern Sweets, both small local businesses) and believe deeply in small-batch, thoughtfully made goodness.
Now more than three decades in, San Francisco Coffee is proud to be a creative hub as much as a coffeehouse. We feature rotating local artists each month, host comedy shows and a monthly open mic in partnership with the nonprofit Arts Abluum, and open our space for private events throughout the year. Being part of Atlanta means showing up for our neighbors, supporting local creatives, and making room at the table for community to grow.
We’re still doing what we set out to do in 1992: serving great coffee, supporting our community, and creating a space where people can connect. In a city that’s always evolving, we’re proud to be a place that feels like home.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? Not exactly, but that’s part of the story.
Starting a specialty coffee roastery in Atlanta in the early ’90s meant being pioneers before there was a roadmap. We opened our first coffeehouse in Vinings, roasting our own coffee on-site and educating customers one cup at a time in a city that hadn’t yet embraced specialty coffee. In those early years, we were both deeply hands-on. We were both right there roasting, learning, experimenting, and building the foundation of what would become San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company. It took patience, consistency, and a lot of belief in what we were building.
As the community grew, we moved to our Virginia-Highland location, which quickly became our flagship and remains the heart of who we are today. Along the way, there were growing pains, long hours, and plenty of moments where we had to trust that community and quality would carry us forward.
Like many small, independent businesses, we’ve weathered economic shifts, rising costs, changing consumer habits, and the ongoing challenge of staying true to our values while adapting to the times. The most significant test, of course, came during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overnight, the heart of what we do, bringing people together- was put on pause. We shifted to to-go service only, pared our menu down to the essentials, and focused on simply staying open, keeping our team safe, and continuing to serve our neighbors in whatever way we could. That also meant local delivery, of food and coffee to the neighborhood. We all had to look out for each other during that time.
Those few years were humbling and difficult, but they also reinforced why we exist. Our community showed up for us, and when it was finally safe to reopen fully, we came back with a renewed sense of purpose. We rebuilt thoughtfully, expanded again, and leaned even more into what has always mattered most: quality, hospitality, and connection.
After more than three decades, we’ve learned that longevity isn’t about avoiding challenges, it’s about responding to them with care, flexibility, and a deep commitment to your community. We’re still here because we’ve never stopped believing in the power of a good cup of coffee, and the people who gather around it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company?
At our core, San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company is a neighborhood coffeehouse built around care for coffee, craft, and the community it serves. Since opening our doors in 1992, we’ve specialized in small-batch, thoughtfully roasted coffee, roasted in-house and served fresh. Long before it was common, we committed to controlling the entire process, from sourcing and building relationships with farmers, and roasting to brewing and serving because quality matters, and people can taste the difference.
We’re known for being hands-on. We roast all of our own coffee, bake all of our food in-house, and take pride in doing things the slower, more intentional way. We’ve event started printing our own t-shirts! Our coffee is approachable but never careless and crafted for everyday drinking, whether that’s a morning drip coffee, a carefully pulled espresso, or a cold brew you come back for again and again. We believe great coffee doesn’t have to be intimidating; it just has to be made with attention and respect for the process.
What truly sets us apart, though, is the role of our staff! From the very beginning, first in Vinings, then in Virginia-Highland, which became our flagship, we set out to create more than a place to grab a cup of coffee. We wanted a space where people didn’t feel intimidated by asking questions, or asking for coffee the way they wanted. It also meant a space where our customers could gather, linger, and feel at home. Over the years, that’s meant hosting book clubs, writers, artists, comedians, musicians, nonprofits, and neighbors from every walk of life. Our spaces have always been about connection.
We’re especially proud of how deeply rooted we are in the local creative community. We feature rotating local artists each month, host comedy shows and a monthly open mic in partnership with Arts Abluum, and open our doors for private events that bring people together in meaningful ways. Supporting local voices and creating room for expression has always been part of our DNA.
Brand-wise, what we’re most proud of is longevity with integrity. We’ve stayed independent, stayed curious, and stayed committed to our values through decades of change, including some very challenging moments. We’ve expanded our rotation of signature roasts inspired by our amazing neighborhoods like Morningside Blend, and Highland Blend. We are currently working on a Candler Park Blend! We’ve adapted without losing who we are, and we’ve grown without losing our sense of place.
What we want readers to know is simple: San Francisco Coffee is about more than coffee, though we take that very seriously. It’s about showing up for our community, honoring the craft, and creating a welcoming space where everyone belongs. After more than 30 years, we’re still doing what we love, serving great coffee and helping people connect.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One thing that often surprises people is just how much we make ourselves behind the scenes. At our Candler Park location, we operate a full production kitchen where all of our baked goods start from scratch. We make our own batters, develop our own recipes, and handle production in-house, led by our chef and head of kitchen production, Henry Studdard. Just like our coffee, we believe people can taste the care.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sanfranciscocoffeeroastingco.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sanfrancoffee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanFranCoffeeRostingCompany/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sanfrancoffee
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-coffee-roasting-company-atlanta-3
Image Credits
Lisandra Vazquez
Leo Hollen, Jr
Melissa M.
