Western NC Coffee Roasters You Can Support Right Now

If there is anything we love as much as coffee, it is our home state of North Carolina. Like most North Carolinians, we’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy the unrivaled beauty and unique spirit of the mountains in the western part of the state — as well as the many delightful options for coffee that call the region home.

When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina and surrounding areas, it resulted in unspeakable damage and tragedy. Months later, the area is recovering, but there is still a long way to go, with people and businesses still very much dealing with the impact.

While it won’t fix everything, we thought providing a list of roasters in the region from whom you can buy (really good) coffee would provide another way people can lend a little bit of a hand. You’ll find that list at the end of the article, along with a few other ways you can help people affected by Helene.

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Western North Carolina Got Hit Hard by Helene

In late September, 2024 , Hurricane Helene moved up from the Gulf of Mexico and through the southern Appalachian mountains, wreaking havoc on Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Southwestern Virginia, and surrounding areas. Helene would go on to become the third-deadliest hurricane in the modern era, taking more than 200 lives and disrupting countless more in its wake.

a NASA satellite photo of hurricane helene in the gulf of mexico before reaching western north carolina — NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

There is no way to overstate the historic devastation in the region. In Asheville, NC, the French Broad River reached record heights, exceeding the previous record by 1.5 feet — a record that had stood since the “Great Flood” of 1916. In a letter to FEMA, NC Governor Roy Cooper said that the state suffered $59.6 billion in damages, as homes and businesses were flooded, crushed, and in some cases, completely swept away by flood waters. Shortly after the storm, all roads in Western NC were considered closed for several days.

Businesses in Western NC Have Been Reeling

There is no comparison to the tragedy of the lives lost and altered in the wake of Hurricane Helene, but the storm has also had a profound impact on businesses in affected areas. According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, tourism typically accounts for about 20% of the region’s economy.

With the devastation to local infrastructure making travel to and from the area unrealistic or even impossible, tourism has been down by an estimated 70% since Helene. That translates to around $584 million in lost revenue.

the river arts district in asheville in western north carolina with damage resulting from hurricane helene — Photo by: Bill McMannis, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

That drop in tourism has resulted in major challenges for local businesses that rely, in part, on those visitors. Combined with the diminished resources of the local population, small businesses in Western North Carolina are facing a tremendously difficult situation.

Coffee Businesses in Western NC Have Been Rebuilding

According to FEMA, around 40% of small businesses never reopen after a natural disaster. The tenuous financial situation in the wake of Helene has created an uphill battle for coffee businesses in the region, as coffee can be a luxury that falls below many other needs and priorities .

But in true Appalachian spirit, many businesses are holding strong, despite the odds. One of those businesses is Flowermouth Coffee, a roastery and cafe in Asheville. Holden Taylor, founder and owner of Flowermouth, told ProCaf that times have been tough for his business since Helene.

“Although we made it out okay from the storm, the financial aftershock has been a struggle for us,” he said. “Some of our accounts have closed for good, and others are ordering less coffee due to tourism being down by 70%.”

Taylor said that, now that the immediate danger of the storm has passed, the issue has moved on to the business side of things.

“Our biggest challenge has definitely been the financial dip,” said Taylor. “With some of our friends being forced to close and the lack of local sales, it’s for sure been a constant hustle to try and keep things moving.”

Fortunately, Western North Carolina is more than just a tourist destination, it is a community. Or, perhaps more accurately, a region full of communities. That tight-knit sense of community has been essential to businesses getting back on their feet. Taylor told us that coffee tech companies Underground Mountain and Reautomater sprung into action to help Flowermouth resume operations.

“We were fortunate to have a few really amazing techs locally helping install clean water pumps at our local shops. Without the pumps, we would’ve been out of luck for the two full months we [in Western North Carolina] didn’t have clean water.”

While the story of a community coming together and the resourcefulness of locals to jump start the recovery process is an inspiring one, it’s important to recognize that doesn’t mean things are back to normal for the area.

“Our punk roots come in handy for sure when it comes to creative ways to put ourselves out there, but in some ways it does feel like we just rewound our growth a bit,” said Taylor.

There Are Coffee Roasters in the Region Who Can Ship To You

At press time, most of the local roasters in Western North Carolina are back up and running. They are not, however, out of troubled waters.

The road to recovery for the region is long and difficult. And while the news crews and social media attention have moved on, people and businesses still need help.

Fortunately for those who love coffee and lending a helping hand, one way people can aid in the rebuilding of Western North Carolina is by doing what you probably already do several times a month — by buying coffee. Roasters in Asheville or surrounding towns like Brevard, Marion, Waynesville, or Boone, roasters in these areas can ship coffee to you.

bags of flowermouth coffee freshly roasted in western nc and ready to be shipped — Photo courtesy of Holden Taylor

Taylor said that choosing to get your next fix from a roaster in the area really does make a difference, while also encouraging folks to come visit if they can.

“Online sales and subscriptions, or just coming to visit and spend money is really the best way to help right now,” he said. “We — as in, all of Asheville — want you here and we can’t wait to serve you drinks or chat about our products. This is truly a city full of extremely passionate people of all walks of life.”

We want to take the opportunity to mention that while things have improved dramatically in Western North Carolina, infrastructure is still recovering. That means that getting your coffee may take a little longer than normal — a small price to pay for supporting folks like Taylor who share our passion for coffee as they rebuild, in our opinion.

Relief Efforts in Western NC Still Need Help

While we hope you take the opportunity to support coffee roasters in Western North Carolina, there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done. With the understanding that these are tough times for many of us in every part of the country, we’d like to encourage those of you who have the resources to spare to look into other ways to help out.

We asked Taylor and other friends from the area for advice on trustworthy mutual aid groups to donate to. There are many groups doing fantastic work in the region, but one name kept coming up.

“We have been encouraging people to donate their time or money to Beloved Asheville,” said Taylor. “Their efforts have helped so many in this dark time. They are just one of many great groups with boots on the ground, but the only one I personally know that your contribution will go straight to helping those in need. The recovery of our region is going to take a long time and help is still very much needed. So if you are able please donate to an organization you trust.”

Donate to Beloved Asheville

Coffee Roasters in Western North Carolina You Can Support

We present this list of coffee roasters in the western part of North Carolina without any specific recommendations or comments. If you know of a business that should be on this list that isn’t, please email us to let us know so that we can include them. Our team speaks for all of us here in North Carolina when we say thank you for your support, and we hope to see y’all soon.

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