Or their first true love. O'Neill dreams about coffee, obsesses over coffee, treats coffee like a work of art. After 10 frustrating years as a sales executive in corporate America, O Neill started his own coffee company, The Roasterie. The business quickly expanded, requiring both more staff and more space. The Roasterie is now in its third location, an old brick warehouse near Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City s other hometown brew.
Business is good.
The Roasterie has positioned itself as THE specialty coffee company, providing custom blends to three out of four of Kansas City s finest restaurants and to all of the upscale grocers in the city. The company has received small business awards, and O Neill has been honored as both an entrepreneur and for his involvement in hundreds of local charities and community services. Sales figures are described in the millions. But that s not the point, O Neill says. It s not about selling, and it s not about awards.