Lexington, KY - When Jenny Super and her husband, Patrick Meyer, decided they wanted to open a small family business, Super followed her heart - and more particularly, her abiding love of a good cup of coffee.
The couple opened Superlative Coffee Roasters at 116 Mechanic St., a coffee roasting business housed in a historic Bluegrass Trust property recently restored by Brokenfork Design, in Lexington.
Super and Meyer met while attending college in Kansas City, and the two have pursued long careers in business, finance and marketing. Super has accrued 25 years of management experience, including specialization in e-commerce, with well-known companies such as Sara Lee, Hershey's, Aramark and Petsmart's equine division. Meyer, who has earned both a law degree and an MBA, works as a wealth management fiduciary specialist with Unified Trust Company.
Nestled among neighboring businesses such as Lowell's, Third Street Stuff, Mulberry on Lime, Jonathan's, Doodles, and Skin Salon, Superlative is close to Gratz Park, Sayre and Transylvania, not to mention its close proximity to downtown Lexington.
Serving organically grown coffee and supporting fair trade commerce play a large role in the company's core philosophy. Super and Meyer purchase beans from Fair Trade Certified producers, in accordance with Fair Trade standards that require all producers to receive the Fair Trade floor standard for their products.
Superlative's core values also express Super and Meyer's belief that roasting coffee is both an art and a science. The company roasts its Arabica coffee beans to order, using an Ambex roaster, which utilizes natural gas along with an electronic temperature monitoring system to control the process. The beans are then emptied into a stainless steel cooling tray to cool before bagging.
The Arabica coffee beans are grown at high altitudes and picked through a labor-intensive process in an organic environment free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Coffee education is also part of the service provided by Super and Meyer at their new establishment. Customers can stop by the store for a cup of coffee, purchase coffees in ground or whole bean form, and learn how to best brew the freshly roasted coffee for quality flavors. Coffees can also be ordered online as whole bean, ground, samplers, and blends at www.superlativecoffee.com.
Shoppers will find original roast (Red Label), Special Dark Roast (Blue Label), Signature Blend (Yellow Label), and Delicious Decaf (Green Label).