About Us

Our Story

We roast, we brew, we create community

Prime Roast Coffee Co. is a small batch coffee roaster and cafe. The company was started in 1993 to bring the absolutely freshest coffee possible to the southwest corner of NH. Our goals are simple; produce great coffee and great experiences. We roast daily in small batches using innovative roasting technology which enables precision quality control while creating a minimal environmental footprint. The cafe is staffed with skillful baristas and stocked with freshly baked pastries each morning. We offer a cozy place to start your day and connect with people you’ll look forward to seeing.

Our Team

Emily and Judy at the Roastery

Judy Rogers, founder            

I roast coffee, I travel and I build community

I have always lived in Keene. My grandfather made furniture at Sprague and Carlton, my grandmother worked for Princess Shoe and my father was a machinist at Kingsbury’s. I run a coffee shop on Main Street in my hometown. John, my husband for the past 34 years, works a block from the coffee shop. On most days, when we aren’t travelling the world together, you will find us enjoying lunch at some downtown eatery.

Keene is a community that supports the well-being of its citizens, sustainable development, the arts, education and independent business. I am surrounded by wonderful, generous people and incredible outdoor spaces. Being engaged and giving back to the community I love makes me feel great. By supporting community-building efforts I actively contribute to a vibrant downtown atmosphere which in turn ensures the economic vibrancy of my business. Recently a friend asked for my help on a project that pairied public art with local history. That project became known as the Magical History Tour and it transformed the face of Keene.

Find out more about The Magical History Tour

Emily Lavigne, manager

I roast coffee, I embrace adventure, I engage my community

I started working at Prime Roast when I was 19. It was a temporary gig that was going to fund my next adventure. Eleven years later, I am still here. I love what I do and I love who I do it with. Like Judy, I grew up in this community and my dad also worked at Kingsbury; our stories and roots intertwine. I was raised here, but it took Prime Roast to make me fall in love with my community. I love the energy, history, extraordinary acts of volunteerism, and the warmth that I feel each time I walk down Main Street.

I jump headlong into volunteer projects that I feel passionate about, especially projects that will add vibrancy to Keene and it’s greater community for many years to come. I have fallen in love with this amazing town, an inclusive and magical coffee shop and a coworker (who I recently married!). When Casey and I aren’t working, we can often be found on a trail, in the woods, or at one of the local breweries, sipping on an IPA and eating food sourced from the farm down the road.

Culture

The Prime Roast mission is to create positively memorable experiences on both sides of the counter. We are committed to cultivating an environment that is welcoming and creating products that are reliably fresh and delicious.

Join Our Team

How We Build Community       

Located in the heart of historic downtown Keene, Prime Roast is a hub for the local community. This place we call the Center of the Universe is diverse and inclusive. The Prime Roast community has been fiercely loyal for decades, we continue to thrive through the support of the local community. Giving back is a cornerstone of the Prime Roast philosophy, we actively support our community in many ways.

Some of the organizations and events that we support:

The Magical History Tour: Mural project – Judy, Project Co-leader  http://www.walldogsinkeene.com/

Radically Rural – Emily, Main Street Track organizer  https://radicallyrural.org/

  • The Monadnock United Way
  • The Hundred Nights Shelter
  • Pathways for Keene
  • The Colonial Theatre
  • The Keene Family YMCA
  • Historical Society of Cheshire County
  • Moco Arts
  • Monadnock Family Services
  • The Community Kitchen
  • Monadnock Buy Local
  • NH Public Radio