Albany coffee shop Margin’s next chapter | Arts and theater

The original downtown store at 206 Second Ave. SW, opened in July 2018 and was eventually dubbed “Albany’s living room”.

“It’s been a whirlwind couple of years,” said owner Gabe Anderson. “Fortunately, we had enough time before the pandemic to establish a fairly loyal customer base.”

Margin regulars return not only for delicious seasonal teas, lattes and baked goods, but also for the true lounge vibe of the place, with shelves lined with houseplants, toned armchairs of soft earth, friendly baristas and a grand piano that’s not unlike one you’d find at your grandmother’s house.

Margin is what is called “third wave coffee”, which means the beans are sourced and roasted more carefully, resulting in a higher quality than you would find in coffee chains. more commercial.

After a year and a half of activity, Margin started roasting its own beans in Corvallis with rental equipment. But due to high demand, Anderson realized that Margin would soon outgrow the space and would eventually need its own dedicated roasting location.

“We call it the roastery and the coffee lab,” Anderson said. “We’re going to focus a lot more on the craftsmanship and the science behind the coffee.”

David Hurley is Margin’s head roaster and downtown location manager. His background as a science teacher paved the way for the science of roasting, which Anderson says makes the two a good pair to run the company.

Anderson said he hopes to have the second store officially open in May once his fundraising goal of $30,000 has been reached and the roasting equipment is up and running.

The roaster itself costs over $30,000, not including the cost of installation, ventilation and technical updates. That’s not counting the kitchen prep area, plumbing and coffee bar. Any surplus funds will go to the dining hall and more high quality grains.

The new margin will move into the Albany Carpet One Floor & Home building, with construction beginning in March and expected to be completed by the end of April. The coffee roaster should be operational in May and the café-bar fully operational in June. The official opening will most likely take place before the cafe is fully operational.

People can support this project, called “Chapter 2”, by visiting margincoffee.com/chapter2 and checking out the awards page. To support the new space, Margin is giving away bags of coffee, various merchandise and other prizes based on the amount donated.

Anderson said that while expansion has always been the goal, he plans to keep Margin local to preserve the homey feel people associate with coffee.

“Charm and quality customer service is hard to come by as you grow up,” he said. “We want to stay local and do what we can to use local products.”