Bird Rock Coffee Roasters Is Doubling Down In San Diego's Little Italy

April 11, 2021

San Diego born Bird Rock Coffee Roasters will soon double down in Little Italy with the opening of a new 2,800 square-foot cafe on the base floor of the Kettner & Ash office building.

Recognized by Roast Magazine as Micro Roaster of the Year in 2012, a national once-in-a-lifetime award, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters has been at the forefront of putting premiere coffee on the map in San Diego since opening it's original location on La Jolla Boulevard in Bird Rock over a decade ago in 2006. Owner Chuck Patton first started roasting in 2001 with a do-it-yourself home coffee roaster that was a fateful gift from his wife, and the company now has additional locations in Little Italy, Bay Park, La Jolla, Del Mar and Pacific Beach. The company is also in the process of obtaining a lease on a space in Point Loma's Liberty Station.

In early 2017, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters was purchased by PT's Coffee Roasting Co. of Topeka, Kansas. PT's Coffee Roasting, who was named Coffee Roaster of the Year in 2009 by Roast Magazine, unveiled plans to partner with Patton to further develop the retail and wholesale efforts of the Bird Rock Coffee Roasters brand, intending to open more San Diego and northern California locations. Jeff Taylor, the co-founder and CEO of PT’s Coffee, met Patton in Nicaragua in 2008 and the two bonded over a shared love for coffee and a mutual ethos of ethically sourcing their beans. Patton remains on the company's board of directors and is the head buyer for both Bird Rick and PT's Coffee companies.

The new Bird Rock Coffee Roasters is expected to open as early as this summer within the 123,000 square-foot Kettner & As 7-story office building on the outskirts of San Diego's Little Italy. Like other locations, the design of the space will be centered around coffee-related education, from videos on coffee production to custom murals. In addition to a menu of single-origin coffee and espresso drinks, this location will offer seasonal beverages, fruit-infused waters and food options, including a variety of toasts, pastries and snacks.

The newest location of Bird Rock Coffee Roasters will be located at 1420 Kettner Boulevard in San Diego's Little Italy. For more information, visit birdrockcoffee.com.