By Amy Stolenberg
Savannah Coffee Roasters recently relocated to 215 W. Liberty St. from the Oglethorpe Mall, complete with a refreshed bakery and cafe. The coffee shop is a welcoming space with a rustic, homey feel—almost like a lakeside cabin in the middle of winter.
This cafe is a destination rather than a quick stop. Plenty of rustic wood tables occupy the room surrounded with industrial looking seats, and cozy armchairs tilt intimately toward each other.
Lori Collins, CEO of Savannah Coffee Roasters, is the pastry chef behind the baked goods available in the shop. Originally from Australia, Lori and her husband John, a professional coffee roaster, moved to Savannah two years ago when they bought the roastery from the previous owners.
Collins worked for 27 years in the corporate world as an I.T. professional before deciding to pursue her passion and return to school for a culinary degree.
“I wanted to be out of the corporate world by a certain age,” said Collins. “When you work for yourself you work really hard, and you work really long hours, but it’s fun when you’re your own boss. I’m sort of semi-retired, if you like, so I thought well, now I’ll do what I really wanna do.”
Collins and her executive chef, Susan Flemming, work side by side all day long to keep the bakery stocked with delicious pastries and sandwiches for customers to munch on while they enjoy their coffee.
“It’s a joint effort—she’s my right arm,” said Collins. “Our kitchen is full of love because we love what we’re doing.”
These good vibes seem to be baked right into the delicious food they produce in the small kitchen right behind the counter. All the food at Savannah Coffee Roasters is made from scratch, including familiar classics like chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and muffins. Collins also whips up some more refined pastries as well, drawing from her Australian roots to offer a more global variety. Her trademark is Pavlova, an Australian marshmallow-stuffed meringue cake topped off with fruit.
The other half of the expansive bakery case displays an assortment of sandwiches, soufflés, and more savory items. From the Ultimate Grilled Cheese to grilled turkey with candied jalapeños, these sandwiches are gourmet versions of your favorite home-style lunch.
All of this delicious food must be washed down with a steaming mug of coffee, brewed from beans that come from all around the world. In addition to drip coffee, Savannah Coffee Roasters offers a wide selection of specialty drinks from flavored lattes to black and white mochas.
Soon, the cafe will accept SCAD cash, and Savannah Coffee Roasters is excited to welcome students into the space as an area for them to study, hang out, and relax.
“We’ve got a great space which can become what everybody wants it to be,” Collins said. “At the moment it’s just emerging.”
Photo by Lizzi Stuart.
