What's all the buzz about Ross Bread Shoppe + Coffee House?

Ridgefield is stumped.

When Ridgefielder’s and Ross Bread Shoppe + Coffee House owners Amy and Eric Freidenrich closed their Marketplace shop midday on Monday - the town was stumped. 

They announced via Facebook: “We will be closing on Monday, May 2nd for staff training + professional development. Yes. We know. The second time in a few weeks. Why all the fuss? Stay tuned, or swing by on Tuesday and see for yourself.”

So, what’s all the buzz about? Enter: Stumptown Coffee. 

“We wanted to bring something special to Ridgefield,” said Amy Freidenrich. And brewing something this special takes time, planning, guidance, expertise, and a whole lot of coffee sampling. 

The entrepreneurial duo studied coffee vendors near and far, and logged countless miles on the road before they met their match and came lip to cup with a sip of heaven; a perfect blend that wasn’t discovered in vain. “We drank way too much coffee, and then drank some more,” admits Amy. Their journey finally ended at a place called Stumptown. And today, what begins in Ridgefield is a whole new coffee experience. 

So, Stumptown’s not your average joe? Not even close. “It’s the taste,” boasts Eric. “It’s smooth, balanced, and truly exceptional,” she adds. And when Eric says exceptional, he means it. “It’s the kind of coffee you sip and then say to your friend, Oh you have to try this. The kind of coffee you make a detour to get when you’re on the road and hear there is a place that sells it.”

But a coffee house, cafe, or restaurant doesn’t just decide one day to offer Stumptown Coffee, and voilà, it’s brewed. Ross Bread Shoppe + Coffee House needed to be Stumptown approved, Stumptown educated, and Stumptown ready. Their staff needed extensive training at the Stumptown coffee lab in Greenwich Village. “Stumptown has a training center in New York City where our staff has gone to learn how to up their barista game,” says Amy. 

Cool beans? You bet. Stumptown has a roastery in Red Hook. “When those beans come down Danbury Road they are fresh out of the roaster… 48 hours fresh,” boasts Amy.    

But it isn’t just what Stumptown does for their palate that fills Amy and Eric with vim and vigor; it’s the Stumptown story; one born of wholesome, hardworking producers and roasters who care deeply -  not only about their product, but about the people who create it and the earth that sustains it. 

Stumptown is committed to the wellbeing of everyone who touches their product.  “They offer incentive based rewards for their farmers, with complete financial transparency of the supply chain along the way.  This allows Stumptown to not only source the best coffee grown in the world, but to also make financial and incrementally sustainable improvements in the growing communities,” explains Amy.

Stumptown Coffee’s ON. Here’s what you’ll find at Ross Bread Shoppe + Coffee House:

•          Espresso.  This coffee has chocolatey Latin American textures with the brightness of fine east African beans.  Taste for: Citrus Zest, Caramel & Hazelnut.  It is called "Hair Bender.” 
•          Drip.  Blended from Latin American and East African coffees, this blend’s components rotate so Stumptown can always bring it to us year round at peak flavor.  Taste for: chocolate, fruit, florals and even toasty nuts.  Called simply, "House Blend."
•          Decaf.  The sweetness of raisins pairs beautifully with caramel in this creamy, buttery cup.  Processed by the only certifiably organic way to remove caffeine, The Swiss Water Decaf Process. Taste for: Raisin, Butter & Caramel.  It is called, "Trapper Creek.” We will use this for both our decaf drip and decaf espresso drinks.  

And, a product like Stumptown deserves to be coupled with the finest in dairy. Eric explains, “People buy organic milk for their families at home. How many coffee shops do?  We want our coffee drinks to be the best they can, so we decided to pick great beans….and great milk too.  We tasted lots of available organic milk, and chose to partner with our wonderful neighbors up the road at Arethusa Farm in Litchfield Hills.”

Why?  Arethusa Farm has a proud tradition of raising award-winning purebred Jersey, Holstein and Brown Swiss cows. They provide the absolute highest level of care for their animals, and create all-natural, farm-fresh dairy goods with a truly exceptional taste. Great milk comes from great cows, great cows come from Arethusa, and great coffee only gets better with Arethusa milk in it.  

Wait, there’s more at Ross Bread Shoppe + Coffee House, Amy and Eric spill the beans:

•          Cartons of Iced Coffee with Milk.  These look like the cartons of milk you bought when you were in elementary school, but that’s where the similarities end.  This is smooth cold brew, with creamy milk.  Definitely a grown-up indulgence. We will have it both with milk, and one made with coconut milk for people who have milk intolerances.  
•          “Stubbies” of Cold Brew.  Sold in dark brown bottles so you can take your cold brew home, or on the road. 
•          Nitro Cold Brew Coffee.  How cool is this:  An icy cold, lightly carbonated coffee?  It is insanely refreshing, and looks impressive with a substantial head on it when poured into a clear glass.  Some people say that it looks like lager.  We think it looks like it wants to be mixed with a scoop of Heibeck’s ice cream.  We are working on this...

Welcome Stumptown! You’re going to love it here!