SOMERS — At first glance, the Roasted Beanery may appear to be another independent coffee shop serving handcrafted drinks and breakfast sandwiches.
But for co-owner Tyler Pratt, the café at 95 South Road in Somers Crossing was always envisioned as something more: a gathering place where community, quality and connection come together over a great cup of coffee.
“We did quite a bit of market research before opening and looked at several towns in the area, including Enfield, Granby, Suffield, and East Windsor, but Somers just felt like the perfect fit for us,” Pratt said.
That feeling was reinforced by personal ties to the town. Pratt’s mother lives in Somers, and he has spent years getting to know the community. Conversations with First Selectman Tim Keeney, a longtime friend, further convinced him that Somers shared the values he and his partners wanted to build their business around.
“Our coffee shop is centered around community, and Somers truly feels like a community-oriented town,” Pratt said. “We wanted to create an open and welcoming environment where people from all over could come together, enjoy great coffee, and connect with one another.”
The Roasted Beanery itself was born from an unlikely partnership of people with very different professional backgrounds.
Pratt, who owns EnFuse Fitness in Enfield, spent nearly two decades in the health and wellness industry. As a business owner and father of three, he became fascinated by the popularity of large coffee chains and began noticing opportunities for a different approach.
“Most coffee lovers I spoke with didn’t necessarily love the coffee itself. They loved the convenience and the atmosphere,” he said.
At the same time, Pratt was concerned about ingredients commonly found in many corporate coffee beverages. That concern became a guiding principle for the Roasted Beanery.
“We wanted full control over the quality of what we served and to provide customers with cleaner, higher-quality ingredients,” he said. “We don’t use artificial dyes or high fructose corn syrup. Our refreshers are made with 100 percent organic ingredients, and we approach our coffee with that same philosophy.”
While Pratt brought expertise in health and business operations, his partners contributed skills from entirely different fields. Business partner Torrie Sarnecki, whom Pratt describes as the team’s coffee expert, brought years of industry knowledge and passion for sourcing and brewing exceptional coffee. Torrie’s wife, Melisa Sarnecki, helped guide the organizational side of launching the business.
“My business partner, Torrie, is incredibly passionate about coffee. When it comes to what goes into the cup, he truly is our expert. Listening to him talk about coffee is inspiring. Partnering with someone who has that level of passion and knowledge was exciting because passion is contagious. I knew that with him on our team, we would always deliver the highest-quality coffee to our customers,” explained Pratt. “Torrie’s wife, Melissa, has also been instrumental in helping us build this business. She is equally passionate about coffee, and together they both bring strong backgrounds in the coffee industry. Melissa is also incredibly good at keeping us organized and on task, which is absolutely necessary when trying to make so many moving parts work together in unison.”
Partner Andy Vincent contributed analytical and financial expertise from his insurance background.
“At the end of the day, we all come from completely different backgrounds, but that’s what helped us create something unique,” Pratt said. “We each fill different gaps within the business.”
Quality remains the cornerstone of the Roasted Beanery’s identity. The shop works with an experienced coffee roaster who partners closely with the team to source and roast beans. Customers can learn about each coffee’s origin through displays throughout the café that detail where the beans come from and the flavor profiles associated with each roast.
“We really want people to appreciate not only the quality of the coffee, but also the story behind it,” Pratt said.
Beyond the coffee itself, Pratt believes the shop’s greatest distinction is its ability to blend convenience with a neighborhood atmosphere.
“I think what sets us apart is that we’ve been able to combine the convenience and efficiency of a larger corporate coffee shop with the warmth and atmosphere of a local community café,” he said.
Customers can order ahead through the café’s mobile app, but they are equally encouraged to linger, enjoy a meal and connect with friends and neighbors.
In fact, Pratt hopes the Roasted Beanery becomes a modern version of a town square.
“We’re really hoping to become the town square, a place where people come together for conversation, events, and connection,” he said.
The journey to opening day, however, was anything but simple. Pratt recalls countless construction and logistical challenges during the build-out process, including one particularly memorable setback when the project’s electrician suffered a serious skydiving accident.
“There were so many obstacles during the build-out process,” Pratt said. “Every obstacle ultimately made our partnership stronger.”
Those experiences reinforced the team’s confidence in one another and their shared vision.
Looking ahead, the Roasted Beanery’s owners plan to continue refining operations and expanding awareness throughout the region. Long-term, they hope to launch an online subscription service and eventually ship their coffee nationwide.
For now, Pratt remains focused on serving every customer who walks through the door.
“We truly value feedback and want every person who walks through our doors to have a memorable experience,” he said. “If that’s ever not the case, we genuinely want people to let us know so we can continue improving and serving the community in the best way possible.”
In a town known for its close-knit character, the Roasted Beanery is aiming to be more than a place to grab a morning coffee. It is striving to become a destination where relationships are built, conversations are shared and community is brewed one cup at a time.
