Oconee Coffee Roasters

Oconee Coffee Roasters was established in 2020 in the historic city of Madison, Georgia, operating out of a repurposed former cotton factory. The business is the culmination of nearly two decades of professional coffee experience held by its founders, Jin and Jenny Chiew. The couple relocated to Georgia from Colorado in 2019, seeking to establish a community-focused specialty coffee presence in the Lake Oconee region while moving closer to family.

The technical foundation of the roastery is driven by Jin Chiew, whose professional pedigree includes significant tenures at Ceremony Coffee Roasters in Maryland and as the head roaster at the renowned Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters in Colorado. Chiew is a certified Q Grader and has participated in high-level industry competitions, such as the U.S. Cup Tasters Championship. This background informs the company’s roasting philosophy, which prioritizes the natural elegance, sweetness, and clarity of the green coffee.

In practice, the roastery functions as both a production facility and a community hub. The café space, designed with input from industry professional Caleb Sprenger, serves as the primary retail outlet for their small-batch roasted offerings. The company sources green coffee with an emphasis on seasonal freshness, selecting lots that reflect distinct character profiles from various global origins, including regions such as Nariño, Colombia, and Nyeri, Kenya.

Transparency and sourcing narratives are central to their operations. For instance, the company highlights specific agricultural practices from their partners, such as the Los Alpes farm in Colombia. Documentation provided by the roaster emphasizes the environmental stewardship of these producers, noting the preservation of native forests at springheads, the use of shade-grown intercropping with avocado and lemon trees, and the implementation of integrated livestock systems to maintain soil fertility.

The company’s operational model is intentionally small-scale, focusing on consistency and the "highest potential" of each bean. By roasting in-house, they maintain control over the development of the coffee, aiming to provide a specialty experience that rivals the offerings found in larger metropolitan hubs like Atlanta or Athens. Their menu typically features a range of single-origin coffees and curated blends, alongside a selection of house-made pastries.

Beyond the technical aspects of roasting, Oconee Coffee Roasters positions itself as a family-run small business. The team includes the founders and a small staff of baristas and production personnel. The business has become a fixture in downtown Madison, noted for its role as a community gathering space that bridges the gap between high-end specialty coffee culture and small-town accessibility.

Today, the roastery continues to operate from its Academy Street location, maintaining a focus on direct-to-consumer sales through its café and national shipping. Their story represents the migration of high-level specialty coffee expertise into smaller, historic American markets, emphasizing that technical rigor and a commitment to quality can be successfully integrated into a local, family-oriented business model.