Inside HiFi by Upshot Espresso. Picture by Blake Shaiper, courtesy of Upshot.

St. Louis-area roaster Upshot Espresso dropped the needle on its third espresso store this month in Clayton, Missouri, drawing inspiration from Japanese file listening rooms. 

Visually tied collectively by an extended, swirling mural — in addition to coordinated parts in pink, black, white and pure wooden — the 1,363-square-foot store referred to as HiFi facilities on a wall of vinyl data and a classic high-fidelity stereo system.

“The music is a character of its personal within the store. It will likely be the very first thing you discover once you stroll in and hopefully one thing that sticks with you all through the day,” Upshot Espresso Co-Proprietor Eric Peters, a lifelong musician, advised Every day Espresso Information. “Music has taken me to locations I by no means thought I’d get to go, and other people I by no means thought I’d get to satisfy. I like the thought of making an area particularly meant to convey individuals collectively on a mutual purpose of sharing and having fun with music collectively.”

At HiFi. Picture by Blake Shaiper, courtesy of Upshot.

The devices making espresso on the new bar embody a blood pink La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine, twin Mahlkönig E65S GBW grinders and a Mahlkönig EK43 for filter coffees, decaf and the corporate’s premium Mystic Collection espressos. Chilly brew is sluggish dripped Kyoto-style. Breakfast and lunch choices — akin to tartines, sandwiches, burritos and recent deli gadgets — had been designed by chef Travis Garcia.

Mystic and different high-end coffees are roasted in a 2-kilo-capacity Proaster at a 1,250-square-foot manufacturing facility established in 2021 simply down the road from Upshot’s flagship cafe in Cottleville.

Alongside the Proaster is a 10-kilo Mill Metropolis Roasters machine that handles the lion’s share of espresso quantity. Sourcing of inexperienced coffees continues to give attention to ideas akin to sustainable agriculture, and equitable and clear relationships between importers and producers. 

The Upshot Espresso roastery. Picture by Blake Shaiper, courtesy of Upshot.

“We’re very captivated with providing among the greatest espresso we will discover,” Upshot Espresso Head Roaster Blake Shaiper, who additionally painted the mural at HiFi, advised DCN. “Nevertheless, the story of the espresso is essential to our mission.” 

Shaiper turns to importers akin to Cofinet, Unblended Espresso and Prime Espresso for high-quality greens, whereas additionally in search of potential for direct entry to producers so as to forge extra significant and positively impactful provide chain relationships.

“Every associate focuses on totally different areas,” stated Shaiper. “Our final purpose is to go to as many farms as we will on a yearly foundation.”

Eric Peters and associate Conor Vanbuskirk based Upshot with the Cottleville store and a 1.5-kilo roaster in 2019. In July 2020 the corporate expanded with its second location in St. Charles, referred to as the Brake Store, which whole-heartedly embraces moto and automotive racing tradition whereas paying homage to the Fifties constructing’s heritage as a brake restore store. 

The Upshot Espresso Brake Store. Picture by Blake Shaiper, courtesy of Upshot.

“Every of our retailers has its personal distinctive identification, a unique expression of the issues we love and the neighborhoods we serve,” stated Peters. “That stated, every store carries by means of it our limitless pursuit to focus on unbelievable espresso in distinctive areas ready by numerous baristas whose purpose above all else is high quality and customer support.”

In 2023, the corporate additionally established its first two licensed cafes inside native church buildings, which is a development technique it intends to pursue additional subsequent yr, alongside different initiatives. 

“We’re getting into competing in SCA in 2025, attending to origin once more and persevering with to give attention to and promote our direct commerce relationship with our companions in Minas Gerais,” Vanbuskirk advised DCN. “We’re an organization that’s at all times shifting the purpose put up on ourselves, so we’ll be engaged on perfecting our cafe service and high quality management. The roasting facility has doubled within the final yr, and our purpose is to double its output once more.”

HiFi by Upshot Espresso is situated at 8401 Maryland Avenue in Clayton, Missouri. Feedback? Questions? Information to share? Contact DCN’s editors right here.