New 'Artis Coffee' Shop Vows First-in-US Custom Roast on the Spot

Three entrepreneurs say they will offer a Japanese-inspired, first-in-America coffee product at their soon-to-open business in Berkeley's Fourth Street retail district.

"Artís Coffee ... will bring the first live-roast coffee experience to the US," says a recent press release from the budding business. 

A customer will be able to walk into Artis Coffee at 1717B Fourth St. and order 1-4 pounds of high-grade coffee that will be fresh roasted on the spot, as light or dark as the customer wants, the owners say. The roasting will take 5-10 minutes, according to an Artis "Info Sheet."

"The focus is on freshness," co-founder Elvis Lieban told Patch. "Coffee is only fresh for seven days after it's roasted."

He said the idea comes from Japan, where co-founder Alex Lowe spent 2-1/2 years and was introduced to small coffee shops that offer beans custom roasted on demand.

The Artis Info Sheet describes the 1,700-square-foot business as an "innovative retail experience" that will include a "cafe, a roasting bar which houses 3 Java Master roasters, and a retail section with a range of merchandise from pour over to high end espresso machines."

The store's "grand opening" – scheduled for Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – will feature "live music, art, coffee demonstrations, and giveaways!" the press release says. "The first 100 customers will receive a complete pour over coffee starter kit along with gifts from our partners."

Artis originally planned to open on Dec. 1 but delayed the opening to feature the "Blossom One Limited," a new $11,000 brewing machine from the San Francisco-based Blossom Coffee, Lieban told Patch.

The Blossom One Limited will have its commercial debut at Artis, SF Weekly reported.

"We are the first cafe to have this exciting coffee brewer which is made in SF," Lieban said. 

When Patch passed by the Artis space a week ago, it looked like an extra week of preparation would come in handy. The interior of the storefront – located between two businesses, Turkish Towel Collection and Scrapbook Territory – appeared devoid of furnishings while workers inside attended to what seemed to be heavy construction tasks.

The three founders – Lieban, Lowe and James Gutierrez – are "currently MBA Candidates for the class of 2014 at Babson College, the #1 Entrepreneurial school in the world," according to Artis Info Sheet. "Alex was first introduced to the idea of live-roasting while living in Tokyo, Japan where artisans in small shops roast exotic coffees in small batches. At Babson he ended up rooming with James, who offered to design a retail store around the concept. Elvis, a coffee fanatic who had just completed designing a new mobile café program at a Boston-Based coffee company jumped on board."

The info sheet also provided the following brief bios of the three:

Alex Lowe – CEO – Originally from Wyoming, Alex has spent the last 10 years leading and managing sailors in complex military operations around the world. Whether navigating a $1B warship or landing 3000 Marines on a beach in Kuwait, Alex’s military career came down to leadership under pressure while keeping an eye on the big picture. With a background in operations and management and over a decade of leadership experience, he is the driving force behind Artis.

James Gutierrez – VP Store Development – With seven years of experience in the architecture and construction management industry, James helped companies integrate their personal brand and marketing messaging into the interior environment. As a Retail Project Manager for Horizon, a multinational commercial construction management company, he oversaw the roll-out, upgrade and opening of hundreds of stores for top retail brands, including Fidelity Investments, Edward Jones, H&R Block, Weight Watchers, Men’s Wearhouse, Maurice’s and Sprint. He hails from Wisconsin.