Bent Tree Coffee Roasters Participate in Kent Chocolate Walk

Bent Tree Coffee Roasters

by Brit Charek

“Knowledgeable, friendly and handsome.” This is how the staff at Bent Tree Coffee Roasters describe themselves on their website. Needless to say I was a bit skeptical.

Fortunately, owners Mike Mistur and Ryan Brannon are, in fact, friendly, easy on the eyes and very serious about their coffee. They opened Bent Tree Coffee Roasters on North Water Street in Kent in last summer.

Unlike some chain coffee shops that tend to over roast their beans in an effort to keep the taste of their coffee consistent, Bent Tree tends specialize in medium roast coffees so as not to mask the flavor of the beans with the roast.

The historical building has sold Model T Fords, pizza, and now coffee.

Bent Tree sells single cups of fresh French pressed coffee as well as beans roasted in house by the pound. If the blend you want to try isn't on the menu that day, don't be afraid to ask-- the staff is happy to make you a single cup of coffee of your choice. My personal favorite is the Black Squirrel blend, a South American dark roast named after the city of Kent's unofficial furry mascot.

Bent Tree keeps their coffee beans fresh by ordering in relatively small batches from all over the world.

Instead of buying all their beans from the same supplier (which would make life easy, naturally), Bent Tree goes to special efforts to buy their beans from suppliers who work with coffee farmers to improve their techniques. This gives them a variety of high quality beans to work with to make their blends. They carry a number of organic and Fair Trade coffees, but their number one priority is quality and taste.

Bent Tree will be participating in the first ever Kent Chocolate Walk this Saturday May 12^th, from 1 to 5 pm. Participants stroll through downtown Kent collecting chocolate gift items from each of the twenty participating businesses-- sort of like a scavenger hunt or a grown up trick-or-treat. Tickets are $10 and proceeds benefit Main Street Kent, a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Kent. Tickets are available at Off the Wagon and McKay Bricker Framing & Gallery or you can call Main Street Kent directly at (330) 677-8000. 

Bent Tree Coffee Roasters is located at 313 N. Water Street in Kent. You can buy their coffee and learn more about their philosophy by visiting their website at http://www.benttreecoffee.com or by simply stopping in and talking to the staff. You can also purchase their coffee to brew at home at West Point Market in Akron or at Kent Natural Foods Co-Op.