Little Goat Coffee Roasting: Newark's Coffee Darling
There are two kinds of people in the world – those who’ve been to Little Goat Coffee Roasting Company in Newark and those who haven’t. You’ll recognize the first kind by the way their eyes light up at the mention of the words “Little Goat” and how they struggle for words to describe the coffee shop. “Ah, that’s a special place” or “you really must go,” they’ll say.
If you belong to the second kind, you’ll eventually grow curious. You’ll make your way to Newark’s Main Street, take a left at the corner Starbucks Coffee, and scan the horizon for the bouncy, caffeinated goat. You’ll climb up the stairs, push the set of skateboard wheels acting as a door handle and voilà, welcome to Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co.
You’ll like the atmosphere immediately: the well-worn hardwood floors, the velvet chairs, the smiles on the baristas’ faces. You’ll study the handwritten coffee menu on the blackboard and, amongst the usual caffeinated suspects, the Lil Coco Loco will stand out. The coconut-based, cinnamon-spiked espresso drink will pique your interest, but you’ll play it safe this time and get the cappuccino instead.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get to sink into the vintage, burgundy-colored couch. As you bring the cup to your lips, the nuttiness of the drink will surprise you. The coffee won’t be bitter, so you’ll drink it until the last drop. Eavesdropping on University of Delaware students, you’ll miss your college days, then, doused in the sunlight, you’ll feel like everything is right in the world.
The next day, you’ll find a reason to return to Newark. Sipping on the Lil Coco Loco, you’ll wonder: how did this place came to be? You’ll look to owners Olivia Brinton and Joe Lins for answers. Sitting by the counter, you’ll watch Lins roasting coffee beans in the sleek, black Dietrich roaster, as Brinton explains the vision behind the brand. “We make coffee for normal people,” she’ll say and you’ll like her for that. As she tells the Little Goat Coffee story, you’ll realize that the feeling of magic experienced at the shop owes nothing to chance but to the clear vision of two thoughtful business owners.
The company name is inspired by a folk tale according to which coffee was discovered after farmers noticed its simulative effects on their goats. “We picked the goat logo because it’s cute and fun; its relatable,” explains Brinton. The co-founders wanted the space to feel homey, so they furnished it with pieces rich with history: the velvet seats were rescued from The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, the century-old wooden seats come from the Avon Grove Meeting House, and the French burgundy sofa once belonged to Brinton’s aunt. Sit by the fireplace and you’ll think you’re in your dream living room.
A Pennsylvania native, Brinton moved to Wilmington after learning the ropes of the coffee shop industry in North Carolina. By the time she moved to Delaware, Lins, a longtime family friend, had started roasting coffee as a hobby. Already a successful business owner, he suggested that Brinton and he join forces and open their own coffee roasting company. After initial hesitation, Brinton eventually left her bartending job and Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co. was born in 2016.
The duo started selling freshly roasted coffee at Newark-area farmer’s markets. In the off-season, customers would ask to meet in parking lots to purchase bags of coffee; this gave the co-founders the confidence to open a brick-and-mortar store, despite well-meaning warnings that “Newark didn’t need another coffee shop”. Through Lins’ connections, the little goat found its home in a 1940’s building that previously housed a skateboard shop.
With the coffee roast profiles set and the shop set up, Little Goat Coffee opened its doors September 2017 “with $20 in the checking account”. But sales were fivefold the projected amount, and the shop sold out of coffee in 48 hours. After closing that Sunday, Brinton and Lins drove to their coffee importer’s warehouse in New York City to get more beans for the next day. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
The quiet force behind Little Goat Coffee, Lins roasts beans daily in small, six-pound batches, which allows a certain intimacy with the beans. “You can look at it and see all the imperfections like, oh, there’s a pebble,” says Brinton. For the consumer, this translates into a cleaner, higher quality cup.
On a given day, the Newark shop offers a selection of up to eight origins and two blends, all of which are sourced from Royal Coffee New York, a specialty coffee importer. Depending on your mood, fill your mug with a classic dark roast or an adventurous light one. Turn to a dark roast for a taste of comfort: with its familiar coffee flavor, a full-bodied dark roast with a splash of cream is the dependable companion to a busy weekday. A light roast, on the other hand, will add spice to your morning routine with bright flavors and a lively acidity.
Each origin has a story, which Brinton will discuss tirelessly both at a farmer’s market and at the Newark headquarters. The full-bodied Peru and fruity Ethiopia are popular, but consider them the beginning of your caffeinated journey. How about a layover in Timor? Grown by a woman-owned co-op, the beans from the previously war-torn nation deliver an aromatic cup which Brinton describes as “funky, earthy, with a dark body”. She notes, “We’re gently elbowing people to try new things.”
The intentionality behind Little Goat Coffee appeals to coffee lovers from very different backgrounds. Freelancers from Middletown choose to do the 25-minute ride because “there’s no good coffee shop to work from there.” Aida, a Saudi exchange student, returned to Saudi Arabia with 7 pounds of Little Goat Coffee beans in her suitcases. It’s those stories that keep Brinton and Lins going on hard days.
Although the Newark location generates 70% of Little Goat Coffee sales, the company has no intention to open new coffee shops. “We want to be known as a coffee roaster,” says Brinton. Instead, they plan on growing the roster of wholesale customers, which already includes respected names like Newark Natural Foods in Newark, LOMA Coffee in Wilmington, and the House of William & Merry in Hockessin. Not bad for a bouncy little goat.
With prestigious clients and loyal customers, the horizon looks bright for Newark’s coffee darling. “It’s exciting to think about the future,” says Brinton, “I’m confident this business will go on for a long time.” I’m excited, too, for the many people who have yet to sit on that burgundy couch.
Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co.
16 Haines St., Newark, DE
(302) 455-1040
Instagram @littlegoatcoffeeroasting
