This story is mostly a product of being in the right office at the right time. I work next door to what was for many years the Gold Crust Baking Company. In 2010, however, they moved to Maryland. The warehouse stood empty until rather recently when Swing’s Coffee signed a lease with Gold Crust (who still owns the building) and began to renovate it. If you don’t know Swings you’re missing out. Currently they have a store in Foggy Bottom at 1702 G St NW. Their existing roastery has lived in an industrial park in Alexandria for years.
This is about to change. I had the pleasure of getting a tour of the under construction roastery from Swing’s President, Mark Warmuth. They’ve got big plans for the space. The new roastery is part of an effort to increase the brand awareness of Swing’s. They have been in the coffee business since 1916, but they don’t have the name recognition of a lot of other companies. “A lot of people don’t know who we are.” When they open their doors, hopefully around Thanksgiving their existing roasting location will shutdown for good.
The Coffee Bar Peering Into the Factory Behind
In addition to the roastery, there will be a coffee bar at the front. Big windows will allow you to see in to the factory behind. Mark wants to turn Swing’s into a “destination location for coffee people.” The coffee bar will serve coffee and espresso. The coffee will be pour over and the beans will set the price not the size (12 oz. cups will be the norm for coffee). There won’t be any food prep, but expect to see some pastries brought in to go with your morning cup of joe.
The space looks cool. I’m excited to see the bar as it takes shape, and really excited to have a coffee shop literally steps from my office. Look for the wholesale operation to open first, with the coffee bar quickly following.
