If you roast 5+ days a week but still feel stuck—read this! Most roasteries stall out—not from lack of sales, but from poor planning.

Scaling a coffee roastery involves more than just roasting more beans—it requires planning and a solid strategy.
With over 27 years in coffee roasting technology and operations, I’ve built and run multiple roasteries, developed roasting systems, and worked alongside industry leaders.

These 7 strategies are built on my lessons learned the hard way—running my own roasteries and helping others grow theirs.

1. Be Proactive and Plan your Roastery Growth

Understanding the core economics of your roasting operation is critical to profitability and success, and knowing the right moment to expand can mean the difference between sustainable growth and costly missteps. If your production bottlenecks are slowing you down, or if rising costs are eating into profits, it’s time to assess your capacity, workflow, and efficiency.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is not matching production capacity with future sales goals. By working through these pain points, together we create a plan that aligns with your coffee roastery business strategy /goals and optimizes the timing of every step of your growth.

• Define your business model. Who are your clients? Wholesale? Retail? White Label?
• Track your daily, weekly and monthly production (batch sizes, roast hours, labor, capacity).
• Calculate your current production efficiency (energy and labor as cost of goods).
• Compare production output to sales forecasts to identify growth trends.
• Identify limiting factors. Assess whether equipment, workflow, or space is limiting your growth.
• When production is operating at 85%+ of capacity, begin planning for expansion.

2. Optimize Efficiency in Processes and Equipment

An efficient roastery design saves you time and money. Upgrading to a roaster with integrated emissions control, such as an IMF, reduces initial capital expenditure and provides ongoing energy savings. Wasted time and energy are dollars out the window. Utilizing energy efficient equipment and employing time saving systems will help drive your roastery to higher profitability

• Evaluate your existing energy use for all equipment. Analyze costs to make good decisions.
• Consider upgrading to more energy efficient roasting machinery.
• Eliminating an afterburner could justify the cost of upgrading.
• Time your processes individually to understand your labor efficiency.
• Compare detailed labor costs with automated processes to evaluate purchasing decisions.

3. Start strong With SPACE & Roastery Workflow Planning

I’ve designed roasteries from initial concepts and consulted on correcting existing operational inefficiencies. Don’t underestimate the high cost of an inefficient roastery operation. The key is to create a space that flows logically, from green storage to roasting, packaging, and shipping.

Automation used to be a dirty word, but roasting automation technology has advanced considerably in recent years. Let’s let the machines control the process, and bring our art of roasting to the cupping table. Integrated materials handling and streamlined packaging systems will pay for themselves quickly and improve the overall workflow of your roasting operation.

• Map out your current production workflow and identify inefficiencies.
• Determine space requirements for roasting, storage, packaging, and shipping.
• Plan for a logical flow of green coffee to roasting, packaging, and distribution.
• Design a scalable layout that allows for future expansion.
• Optimize packaging/storage solutions to minimize unnecessary movement and labor.

4. Roaster Exhaust – Most Overlooked Aspect of a New Installation

Improper ventilation can cause roast inconsistencies, increased fire risks, and even regulatory shutdowns. When I design a roastery layout, exhaust system design for optimal airflow is one of the first things I look at.

Proper ventilation allows your roaster to operate as it was designed to, maintaining the quality and consistency of every roast. Improper duct system design and installation is a common reason for failed inspections, so it is worth addressing early.
5 ways to avoid any issues with your ducts/ventilation systems:

• Be certain that your design consultant understands the appropriate mechanical and building codes specific to coffee roasters.
• Design your ductwork for proper temperature class and size appropriately for manufacturer specified airflow rates.
• AQMD regulations vary from city to city, so before you make duct designs for your roaster check with your local AQMD and make sure that your installation is compliant with their standards.
• Ensure the duct system design facilitates access for cleaning if required. Inspect and clean ductwork regularly to prevent buildup and blockages.
• Schedule a professional ventilation assessment to identify inefficiencies.

5. Permits – Stay ahead of Local Regulations

Overlooking permits is one of the most expensive mistakes I see. First, identify if your proposed use is permitted. I’ve worked with roasteries that had to delay their opening by months because they didn’t check their AQMD requirements early in the planning process.
Here is a list of typical required permits:

• Air Quality Permit (AQMD): Required for emissions control and compliance.
• Zoning Permit: Identifies the permitted use at a given parcel address.
• Environmental Health: Ensures facility complies with food safety and sanitation requirements.
• Building Permit: Required for building modifications or new construction.
• Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing: Needed for roaster installation and most facilities upgrades.
• Wastewater & Environmental Permits: If dealing with water discharge from processing.

6. Prepare for additional installation costs

Scaling up your roasting operation involves more than just buying a bigger machine, it requires careful planning, regulatory compliance, and execution. In my experience developing roasting facilities, one of the biggest surprises for (new) roasters is the extra costs of permitting and roaster installation. Sufficient gas, electrical and water supply are often underestimated. Establish preliminary loads early and compare them with your service supply.

• Gas meter and electrical upgrades can be costly and time consuming.
• Identify all required permits and compliance needs before installation begins.
• Obtain multiple quotes for construction, permitting, and installation services.
• Most food facilities require grease traps. Depending on the jurisdiction this may be costly.
• Budget for unexpected costs (set aside a 10-20% contingency fund).
• Work with John at Coffee Heroes Solutions to guarantee that your roaster is installed to code.

7. Quality Consistency Doesn’t Happen by Accident

If your operation depends on one person’s method, you’re flying blind. That might work for a two-person team, but as you grow, inconsistency creeps in—and with it, wasted coffee, lost time, and quality control issues.

What you need isn’t just more training, you need repeatable systems. Systems turn knowledge into daily practice. They keep quality high, reduce downtime, and let your team run without relying on guesswork. Here’s where to start:

• Build a maintenance checklist — daily, weekly, monthly.
• Document processes i.e. Startup, shutdown and batch schedule routines. Remove variability, especially across shifts.
• Crosstrain your team so that no task bottlenecks occur when someone is off or suddenly leaves.
• Document and maintain all roast profiles — everyone should follow the same target curve.
• Hold a weekly QC/production cupping. Team calibrations improve quality and consistency.

After years of designing, building, operating roasteries, I’ve learned firsthand what works—and what doesn’t. Scaling is complex, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right plan you can grow and still stay on budget.

Coffee Heroes Solutions specializes in managing the entire roastery development process. From roastery layout optimization, planning, and permitting to project management and equipment installation, we handle the details so you can focus on what you do best, building your brand and making delicious coffee.

If you want help reviewing your setup, reach out—Coffee Heroes offers solutions to roasters at every stage of growth.