ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – A barista scoops coffee beans from a bin into a container atop Rockford Roasting Company’s countertop.
Before Benjamin Chauvin opened his coffee shop in 2014, the business owner relied on a popcorn machine to craft cups of Joe.
“I loved drinking it with friends,” he confessed. After deciding to sell his caffeinated creations, “I noticed kind of a void in the market here in Rockford.” The Roasting Company now occupies part of the Embassy Suites hotel in the heart of the city.
In January, a corporate neighbor opened a few blocks north of the cafe: a downtown Starbucks.
“I wouldn’t say there’s zero effect‚” Chauvin told WIFR of the chain’s impact on business.
The owner described a “bubble” in downtown before Starbucks arrived — where no corporate chains operated. Since January, that bubble’s popped. An additional Starbucks on Charles Street, Scooters on East State Street and a city council approved Dutch Bros Coffee off E. State move into the community.
Despite multi-billion dollar companies expanding in the city, Chauvin and another owner see the global economy as affecting local business more.
Corporate Competition
Chauvin contends corporate chains don’t really drip into his business.
“We always appreciate it when people choose to spend their money with us, and we hope that we’re creating some sort of value there.”
Wired Cafe’s Joshua Patterson echoes Chauvin’s claim. The general manager credits community spirit for keeping between 200-300 customers into his shop.
“The dollars that come into our business are going right back into the community,” asserted Patterson. “Coffee brings people together, and so that’s something that I’m really proud that we’ve been able to do. When you come to Wired, you just never know who you’re going to see.”
Patterson adds local faces and ownership sets his and similar shops apart from the chains.
“That’s something that larger chains can’t duplicate,” he maintained. “I don’t know if people come back for the coffee or the hugs, but that’s something you’re gonna get both.”
Tariff Impacts
The National Coffee Association reports the U.S. imports roughly 99% of its coffee. Wired and the Roasting Company rely on countries in the “Coffee Belt” (largely Latin America) for pouring their java.
“If there’s an increase in imports, it’s going to impact our business,” said Patterson.
Chauvin notes his shop’s espresso beans arrive from Costa Rica, where the Trump administration imposes a 15% on commodities like coffee.
“Everything is more expensive. Running a small business is that much harder than it ever has been,” he argued.
Both owners claim they’re finding “creative ways” to navigate changes in their revenue stream.
For Wired, that means more community events or gatherings. Patterson also stressed creating a welcoming space worth revisiting.
“That’s a big responsibility of any owner, of any leader, is to make sure that you create a space, and a place where people come to heal because community.”
Chauvin sees solidarity as pouring stability into local coffee shops. He attributes events like the Rockford Coffee Crawl as reinforcing that unity.
“Let’s get together and support each other locally,” contended Chauvin. “We don’t have the same amount of money as a Starbucks, but when we put our powers together, and put our brains together and kind of share our resources, then there can be something beautiful that happens.”
Chauvin held his faith with customers who will decide which shops (local or corporate) are worth frequenting
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