Behind the Scenes at Lamill Coffee Roasters

Lamill Coffee, one of Los Angeles’ first hometown roasters, is a home-grown, family-owned business. Owner Craig Min grew up in the business, learning to roast coffee at twelve years of age. He took over the family business after college and started Lamill in 1997. You can find their coffee in restaurants and hotels in Southern California and beyond, as well as at their Silverlake location, opened in 2008. Recently, I got to go behind the scenes and tour their roasting facilities in Alhambra, just east of Downtown Los Angeles. John Martin, Director of Coffee at Lamill, greeted us that morning. Responsible for obtaining the raw coffee from around the world and overseeing the roasting, I asked him how one achieves the title "Director of Coffee." He explained that the coffee business in an old-school industry. There is no formal education and no certifications. Roasters start as apprentices and work their way up, learning as they go. That is what John did. He has been in the business for ten years and once he was bitten by the coffee bug, there was no turning back. He is fascinated with flavor and loves all the various tastes and is continually learning. Behind the Scenes