By Stacie Boyls | Arts & Life Writer
After operating for several years with externally sourced beans, For Keeps Coffee & Bakery has quietly transitioned to roasting its own coffee in-house — a move staff says has deepened both their craft and their connection to the product they serve.
Israel Perez, a 25-year-old Waco native who has worked at the shop since it opened, said the idea to roast in-house was not part of the original business plan.
“I don’t think the plan was to eventually start roasting until some Baylor business students did a project on our coffee shop,” Perez said. “They showed our owner how much money he could save in the long run if we actually started roasting our own beans.”
From that point, the transition to in-house roasting began. According to Perez, the process from internal announcement to implementation lasted roughly a year, involving planning and logistics largely handled behind the scenes.
“From him announcing it to the grand opening, maybe like a year,” Perez said.
The shift itself was subtle. Rather than a major public rollout, the shop gradually replaced its previous supplier, Brandywine Coffee Roasters, with its own beans.
“It was a quiet shift,” Perez said.
Now For Keeps offers a rotating selection of house-roasted coffees, typically maintaining four to five core options alongside seasonal blends. Perez described the quality of beans as “on par” with their previous distributors, noting the impressively swift shift to in-house roasting given their young business age.
Behind the scenes, the roasting process is both technical and time-intensive. Judah Venable began roasting for For Keeps about five months ago, after working in coffee for three years.
“I didn’t have any prior roasting experience, but my coffee knowledge provided a good foundation,” Judah said, crediting former head roaster Daniel Baros for mentorship and hands-on training.
A typical roasting shift involves far more than simply heating beans.
“Start the machine and let it heat up, controlling the heat for 25 to 40 minutes, then determine a roasting schedule, roast, drop and cool beans,” Venable said. “Repeat until schedule complete. Then bag what you roasted and clean the roastery.”
Through his demanding routine, Venable described the roasting process as deeply rewarding.
“The process of roasting can be grueling at times, but it’s always rewarding trying your roasts after they’ve sat for a while and are ready to taste,” he said.
Roasting in-house also gives the shop greater flexibility and creative control. Rather than relying on outside roasters, staff can adjust profiles and introduce new coffees more quickly.
“We are able to immediately make adjustments to roast profiles to suit the shop best,” Venable said. “We also have more flexibility to bring in new coffee whenever we decide.”
The roastery itself sits just across from the main shop, a separate space dedicated to production. While only a few staff members are trained in roasting, the operation supports both in-store use and retail sales, which, Perez noted, often sell out quickly.
“I’m honestly amazed at how often our beans sell out,” Perez said. “Normally, that shelf is empty.”
That demand reflects the loyalty to For Keeps that many Wacoans have developed, according to Perez.
“I think that’s the most impressive thing about this place,” he said. “There’s a lot of customer loyalty. They really support all the products that come out.”
For Venable, the transition has also changed how he approaches coffee personally.
“Understanding the whole process of roasting brings a new depth to my brewing strategies,” he said. “It’s really fulfilling.”
His current favorite coffee bean offering, “Colombia Luis Alejandro – Washed Geisha,” highlights the level of specificity now possible through in-house roasting.
“It is a delicious cup with peach, honey and orange blossom notes,” he said.
While Venable noted that For Keeps may not offer something entirely unique on a national scale, he believes the shop has carved out a meaningful niche locally.
“We bring in some good coffees and are a good spot to find beans if you are excited about coffee,” he said.
