Slice of the City

Established in 2000, Dublin Roasters began as a labor of love for Serina, stemming from her deep-rooted appreciation for the craft of roasting coffee beans. What started as a personal journey to find the perfect cup of coffee blossomed into a thriving business. Each year, Serina sources raw coffee beans from small farms in countries such as Columbia, India, Ecuador, Vietnam, Brazil, Honduras, and Guatemala. Her roasting facility, located behind her storefront in Frederick, is always open for visitors to tour and learn more about the roasting process.

At Dublin Roasters, Serina's mission goes beyond simply serving exceptional coffee. It's about fostering relationships—with coffee farmers, customers, and the local community. Serina's dedication to inclusivity and positivity is evident in every aspect of the business. From hiring individuals with disabilities to providing mentorship opportunities for interns from various agencies, Dublin Roasters serves as a beacon of diversity and acceptance in the community.

The Dupont Circle is proud to have Dublin Roasters as our exclusive coffee provider. Through a collaborative effort, Serina worked closely with our team to craft a custom blend that captures the essence of luxury and sophistication while adhering to our shared standards of sustainability. Our blend can only be enjoyed at The Dupont Circle hotel and in our esteemed dining establishments, The Pembroke restaurant, and Doyle bar.

As owner and roaster, Serina wears many hats. From overseeing the roasting process to engaging with customers and creating unique blends, she infuses every aspect of Dublin Roasters with her passion and expertise. Despite the challenges of running a business, Serina's love for what she does remains unwavering. With Serina at the helm, Dublin Roasters continues to be a shining example of what happens when passion, quality, and community converge.

Q: Can you briefly describe your responsibilities as owner and roaster at Dublin Roasters Coffee? What are some tasks you handle on a daily basis?

In short, I cultivate relationships with coffee farmers across the globe to encourage sustainable practices, roast coffee beans, and work to promote coffee sales across the country. In the beginning, as a start-up business, I had to learn a lot of mechanics with the roaster. Somehow, I managed to fix things with common sense and probably a little luck! I once tried to document all the things I did each day; the list was crazy long. I have learned to let go, delegate, and trust the 25 other brew crew team members with the day-to-day and I have not been disappointed. I keep all the things I still love about the day-to-day like creating blends and greeting our regular customers.

Q: Was this always your professional path? What drew you into the world of coffee?

As a former K9 Police officer, I realized that my therapy came in the form of roasting coffee in my free time. In 2000, I started Dublin Roasters as a start-up coffee business that ended up flourishing. I’ve always found the most inspiration in my travels to coffee-producing countries. When I began traveling, I wanted to find the best coffee beans and wanted to work closely with the families growing the beans. I saw the same spark and passion in them as I felt about roasting the coffee. We are always trying to find a bean with a story out there in the world! My job is to find that bean, bring it to Frederick, and tell the story about the family.

Q: What aspects of your job do you find most exciting?

We are most excited about our programs that are designed to be inclusive of every person, at all levels. We have always hired people with disabilities and emphasize mentoring interns from agencies in Frederick. It’s important to us to keep our hearts open to others that don’t always have the same opportunities that we take for granted. The staff and our regular customers have embraced our eclectic mix of team members, and we truly do reflect our community in all ways.

Q: Do you have any upcoming initiatives or projects people should be on the lookout for?

Last year we traveled to Brazil, and next will be heading to Costa Rica, on a quest to find the best coffee beans! One of our most exciting projects will be creating a coffee/eco-tourism project in Colombia and Brazil in which we invite customers to witness the entire process; from the growing and harvesting process, to the roasting and brewing process at Dublin Roasters. For our Colombia project, we are setting up a trip with Tio Conejo Farms to provide the entire package. Our crew is testing it out this spring and it should be ready for our first customers to enjoy by the summer!

Q: How does Washington DC's specific culture or environment influence your work?

We look to DC’s trends for inspiration and to influence our roasting style. The foodie culture in DC has moved our city to adopt a lot of nuances in the coffee scene. In Frederick, the tourism and camaraderie that our local businesses have formed have propelled us to a new level. We work together to create a destination for people that are venturing outside the beltway.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share about Dublin Roasters?

Dublin was created when I was just one person, but it has truly grown with the input of so many crew members over the past 24 years and lots of input from customers hoping to find certain items. My role has changed from a day-to-day team member to a conductor, but I am always reminded of how fortunate I am to still love what I do, and for the passion that remains after almost a quarter of a century.

For more information about Dublin Roasters Coffee, or to order their signature coffee blends, visit  dublinroasterscoffee.com.