For Syracuse native Matt Godard, coffee isn’t just an addiction; it’s his life’s work.

To Godard, coffee means finding a farmer who sells ethically sourced coffee beans, it means roasting the beans himself at his roasting space, La Roasteria, and it means running Cafe Kubal, a popular local coffee business, day and night.

Godard started Kubal Coffee Roasters less than a year after he took a trip to Guatemala in 2004. He learned about the process of growing coffee beans from local farmers, and was quickly captivated by the industry.

His first roastery began operation in his parents’ basement, and two years later, he opened his first café in Syracuse’s Eastwood neighborhood.

“We often forget that you need to take time and enjoy the coffee,” Godard said.

Although the first shop was small — barely big enough to fit five or six customers — the venture was enough to keep Godard extremely busy, especially since he and his wife Rachel had just had their first child, Godard said.

Since that first cafe opened, Cafe Kubal has expanded to four cafes throughout Syracuse, including a student favorite off Marshall Street, and has at least 32 wholesale customers, or businesses it is the primary coffee vendor for.

Godard is very proud of how far his business has come, he said. What started out as him roasting raw coffee beans at night and on weekends has turned into his full-time job and source of income.

Godard is thankful that he is his own boss, although being in charge does occasionally prevent him from fully enjoying the atmosphere of his shops, he said.

“I first notice everything that’s going wrong,” Godard said about when he enters his cafes. “I’m still painfully aware of all of our shortcomings, but I do take time to recognize the successes.”

The future of Kubal Coffee Roasters is optimistic, Godard said. For example, the tiny cafe that was his first will be renovated this March — the space will be expanded so that more customers can enjoy their coffee.

Even with all the changes, Godard said, Kubal is first and foremost a Syracuse company. Kubal is active with local charities and puts on local events, and even its employees are screened for commitment to the community.

“In my mind, we’re just playing the role of the neighborhood cafe,” Godard said.

Published on October 21, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact: emmichae@syr.edu