Little Seed Coffee Sprouts with Roastery Cafe in Middlebury, Vermont

The entrance to Little Seed Coffee in the historic Battell Block building in the heart of Middlebury, Vemont. All images courtesy of Little Seed Coffee.

Little Seed Coffee is providing a sizable coffee jolt to Middlebury, Vermont, with the opening of its flagship roastery cafe this week.

Under beautifully maintained original tin ceilings in the historic Battell Block building, Little Seed’s 10-kilo roaster made by Mill City Roasters is already turning five single-origin coffees and an espresso blend that will make their way to guests through a Slayer Steam espresso machine beginning on Saturday, Oct. 2.

The roastery takes up about 250 square feet of the 1,200 total on the shop’s main level, while the building’s lower level will provide space for cuppings, education and community events, and additional space for guests.

“We wanted to juxtapose the character of the historic elements with the beauty of modern, minimalist materials,” Little Seed Co-Owner Anthony Gerakos, who is also an architect, told Daily Coffee News. “We strove to ensure the space was bright, inviting, and comfortable.”

New Yorkers Anthony and Maggie Gerakos, who several years ago started home roasting in their Brooklyn apartment, bid farewell to the Big Apple as they nurtured the Little Seed concept to life during the pandemic while permanently relocating to Vermont.

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While Maggie Gerakos transitioned entirely from nonprofit development work into growing Little Seed over the summer, her occupational background has come into play with the business’s “You Sip, We Give” initiative. The program is set up to divert 5% of proceeds each quarter to nonprofits that are focused on improving the quality of life in places where coffee is grown.

Thus far, Little Seed has relied upon green coffee importers such as Red Fox Coffee Merchants, Osito Coffee and Coffee Shrub, for green coffees that reflect fair pay and sustainable relationships with producers.

“The real work is done by the people and land that grow the coffee, and we are simply trying to achieve the best way of presenting each offering we bring in,” Maggie Gerakos told DCN of the couple’s roasting goals. “If we do that well, and people of all [coffee drinking] experience levels enjoy what we’re roasting, we consider ourselves successful.”

Little Seed Coffee is located at 24 Merchants Row in Middlebury. Tell us about your new coffee shop or roastery here.