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December 4, 2025
On the Road With Nick: Summer–Fall 2025 Highlights
Nick is back (and more caffeinated than ever).
From the Road: Five Months, Four Fests, and 75 Espressos
Let’s just say Nick’s suitcase didn’t see much time in the closet this year.
From Portland to Tampa, Houston to Hartford, Roastar’s resident coffee explorer has been racking up the frequent sipper miles. Between emceeing panels, judging espresso flights, TikTok experiments, and museum deep dives, it’s been a full-on tour of the weird, wonderful world of specialty coffee.
This dispatch covers the highs, the surprises, and the standout brands that made the past few months one for the books. Grab your pour-over coffee and let’s recap.
June: Portland, Panels, and Connecticut Coffee Cans
Nick kicked off summer at Coffee Fest Portland, emceeing Roastar-sponsored panels and even jumping into a marketing convo mid-session (classic Nick). The vibe? Big on creativity, bigger on community.
A backyard birthday party for Roastar’s Ashley K. and a rare in-person Coffee People Podcast recording wrapped the trip with cake and conversation.
Later that month, Nick flew to the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History to nerd out over the Coffee: A Connecticut Story exhibit, which featured vintage tin cans and a spotlight on Vietnamese phin brewing. He left with two coffee shop recommendations: J.René for throwback elegance and Two Dogs for caffeine + pinball.
:quality(90) "Connecticut Museum of Culture and History - Antique Tin Cans")
July: Buc-ee’s, TikTok, and Tin Can Creativity
On a southern road trip, Nick made his first-ever stop at Buc-ee’s and met a DIY coffee bar that looked like a gas station soda fountain had a caffeine-fueled baby. The drink? A solid 6.5. The experience? Fascinating.
After spotting a Roastar tin can cameo on the You Betcha podcast about common things that Midwesterners reuse, Nick and the team kicked off a daily TikTok challenge to showcase creative ways of reusing the tin can, vowing not to stop until the podcast responded. He used the can to hold snacks, sauces, cat treats, and even fishing worms. And yes—You Betcha responded after 30 days, completing the challenge.
Also on deck: a new social media video series called “How You Fill’n?”, featuring coffee, conversation, and behind-the-scenes bag filling. Nick kicked off the series with local Wausau, WI coffee shop The Pinery.
In his time off, Nick made an AeroPress coffee with filtered Lake Superior water like the true coffee nerd he is.
August: Coffee Fest LA and Puppy-Powered Packaging
Coffee Fest Los Angeles brought big energy and packed crowds. Nick hosted the marketing panel, guiding conversations on social media, newsletters, and brand growth.
He met new Roastar customer Roy Coffee Co, who debuted their stunning paper tubes at the show. He also stopped by the puppy park sponsored by Roastar, interviewing dogs (yes, really) while supporting Birch Coffee’s adoption fundraiser.
Later, he helped launch a collab roast with The Pinery and Coffee People Podcast, raising funds for the Ice Age Trail. Nick even flipped roles and interviewed Ryan and Nolan for a special podcast episode.
:quality(90) "On the Road with Nick Part 2 - Dog Test")
September: Florida Coffee, Business 101, and the Big Perk
In Orlando, Nick crammed eight coffee shops into one day and lived to tell the tale. Highlights: a Caferol Spritz at Lineage and a lychee rose espresso tonic at Craft & Common.
He visited Tampa for Business 101 Day at the Coffee & Art Festival, soaking up insights on marketing, operations, and backup planning.
Back at HQ, Roastar rolled out The Big Perk for National Coffee Day: free Roast Magazine subscriptions, First Crack Coffee classes, and a pack of our upcoming coffee-scented sticker. Let’s just say the mail smelled amazing.
October: Roast Summit and 75 Espressos Later
Nick wrapped the season in Portland at the Roast Summit, diving deep into water chemistry, roast profiling, and hands-on experiments. He may not be a roastmaster yet, but he left with notes.
Then came the big one: Golden Bean North America. Nick joined the judging team and tackled over 300 coffees in four days, including one day ft. 75 espresso shots. (Yes, there was a spit bucket. No, he didn’t always use it.) Shoutout to Bear Lake Coffee for medaling, and to Goshen Coffee Roasters for winning big with a last-minute entry pulled straight from their production run. Respect.
:quality(90) "On the Road with Nick Part 2 - Golden Bean")
What We’ve Learned
Traveling the country for coffee might sound like a dream gig—and it is. But it also gives us real-time insight into what makes this industry tick: creativity, community, and a whole lot of caffeine-fueled hustle.
Whether it’s launching a new brand at a trade show, telling your story through packaging, or just swapping ideas over a cup, we’re constantly reminded how hard our customers work to stand out. And that’s why we do what we do.
Whether you’re roasting out of a garage, opening shop number three, or pitching your latest single origin on stage in Portland, we're here to make sure your custom packaging looks its best. Because when your coffee packaging shows up strong, people notice—and come back for more.
Not sure where to start? Contact us with your questions, get a fast online quote or sample pack, and check out our blog for lots of great info. Together, let’s bring your coffee packaging dreams to life!