Stan Yoder - Barista Extraordinaire at Openroad Coffee Roastery

Stan Yoder and I have something in common—we both love coffee. For me, I just enjoy it. But for Stan, it’s an obsession and a passion and you can tell that the second you step inside Openroad Coffee Roastery. And for Stan Yoder, it’s also an art. 
 
There’s are a lot of reasons the parking lot is almost always full. The great coffee, amazing treats, and incredibly friendly staff are just some of them. The atmosphere is another. Stan says that at Openroad, like most shops, customers can come in and be social and meet new people or old friends or find solitude in the midst of chaos – everyone finds a warm welcome and feels at home. Stan says that people create atmosphere and that’s definitely true inside this place. There’s no pressure to buy anything, but who can resist the coffee and the fresh baked goods prepared onsite daily beginning at 3 AM when the bakers arrive. And if you’re lucky, you’ll drive up and smell the beans roasting at the far end of the shop. Stan’s dad, Andy, does the roasting honors.

Stan Yoder

Stan chats with a loyal customer.

Free wi-fi is a nice bonus at Openroad. Lots of customers grab a cup of coffee and take care of business.

As a teenager and young man, Stan always enjoyed going into coffee shops. He loved the atmosphere and the diversity of the people who frequented the shops. The good feelings he got from the atmosphere and the taste of great coffee always remained in the back of his mind. His dream was to open a shop of his own.
 
Stan moved to this area in 1993 and worked in construction. He kept that vision of owning a coffee shop on the back burner as he figured out how to move the idea to the front. In 2000 he took the first big step and opened a small coffee shop in Landrum called Inside Out Coffee Bar. It was his start in the business and the learning curve was steep. Stan didn’t even have a set cost for the coffee or the other items he sold. There was a small box on the counter and people could put in any amount they wanted. “Sometimes they might put in 20 bucks and other times leave nothing.” That was part of the experience and he learned from it, but it wasn’t paying the bills. He went back to doing construction, but his goal was definitely headed toward coffee. Stan met his wife Julia at his Landrum shop. She was a customer at the time. 

It was nine years before Stan opened his new coffee shop, Openroad. He originally began in a location on US 176 as you leave Tryon and head toward Saluda. That building was already in use by a church ministry as a thrift shop and Stan and Julia were just occupying a small corner as you entered. They built the business and continued the process of learning everything they could about coffee and baking. They worked on recipes (some liked the fabulous “Baked Oats” came from Stan and others like the scone recipe came from a customer). He learned the ins and outs of brewing coffee, of roasting beans, and of building a base of loyal customers. Stan says that connecting with customers and making those relationships is an important part of the business. In 2014 Stan made the decision to find a bigger location and took a huge gamble with a former office building. The move proved to be extremely advantageous and their business has grown exponentially. 

Customer Jaime Fitzgerald..."I'm a youth minister at Tryon First Baptist and also a grad student and this is such a great environment to study and prepare lessons. It's very calming and relaxing and easy to focus here. The people are always really kind."

You can smell those beans roasting well before entering the door.

Stan is happy to point out that while the coffee comes from various countries (Honduras, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Peru for examples), the ingredients for his baked goods come from local sources. Fresh eggs from Thunder Ridge Farm and Bradley Farms, milk from Mills River Creamery, and kale grown hydroponically by Bill Barker are some examples. It might cost more, Stan says, but you can taste the difference. There’s a difference about everything at Openroad. 

Stan looks back on his successful shop and offers some words of wisdom to others looking at starting up a business, “You start where you can, not always where you want to be. You need to care about the product and all the details. You need to give it your all.” 
 
For Stan Yoder, this trip has been a journey and not always an easy road. But that “road” is open, running smoothly, and waiting for your visit. 

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More to Know
Openroad is located on Highway 108 between Tryon and Columbus. Open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 AM until 7 PM.  The bakers get in around 3 AM and I know from experience that some of their favorite items might be sold out before noon. They have a drive-through, but hey…it’s worth the extra time to get out of your car and enjoy your coffee and treats inside the cozy shop or outside on the porch. And if the lot looks full, don’t worry – there’s additional parking in back and more on the side. More on the web at: http://www.openroadcoffeeroastery.com. Phone: 828/ 894-2021.

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