Polk’s Hometown Coffeehouses Roasting the National Chains
by PAUL CATALA
Sponsored by VISIT CENTRAL FLORIDA
As a growing number of nationwide chains serve up their latest iteration of coffee, two hometown coffee shops have been making a name for themselves right here in Polk County.
Haven Coffee Roasters in Winter Haven and Auburndale and Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro in Lakeland have become iconic for their fresh, innovative, hip hometown vibes.
Brothers Chris and Michael McArthur opened Black & Brew in 2006. Chris bought his brother out of the business just four years later so Michael could pursue a music career.
Lakeland native Chris McArthur, 43, now runs Black & Brew’s three Lakeland locations: downtown, Lake Morton and southside. Of those, he says the 2,600-square-feet downtown location across from Munn Park is the busiest.
McArthur says he works hard to keep his business, located in a building more than 120 years old, current and on-trend.
“I think what sets us apart primarily is our focus on hospitality,” he says. “Our goal for every customer is to attempt to be the best part of their day. We’re big believers in continual renewal.”
McArthur adds that hospitality and innovation go a long way in keeping his patrons coming back.
He says he and his approximately 35 employees make sure change is always percolating.
“The heart of what we do is exactly the same as when we opened, but we’re continuously refreshing the physical space and the menu,” says McArthur, a Marine Corps veteran. “One of what people expect to experience in a coffee shop is to kind of taste something novel, unique or interesting.”
As an example, one of Black & Brew’s more unique coffees is a cereal milk latte developed in-house — Fruity Pebbles soaked in oat milk for 12 hours and strained. Combined with espresso and shaken over ice, it creates a “unique, frothy, whimsical beverage” topped with cereal marshmallows.
McArthur says he’s happy with the “hip vibe” for which Black & Brew is renowned, and the future will retain that.
“We live here. We’re proud of what we built here, and we want to continue to be ‘that place’ for people,” he says.
In Winter Haven and Auburndale, Jon and Lynsey Lane have worked to make Haven Coffee Roasters the trendy taste. The couple and about 30 employees operate the Winter Haven and Auburndale shops, both of which include roasting facilities.
Jon says he thinks Haven Roasters has quickly gotten on coffee lovers radar since opening in 2021 thanks to their high-quality product. In November, they added a bakery and all the goodness that comes with it.
“We have a new roaster, and we hired a pastry chef. Our goal is to be known for high-quality pastries, high-quality coffee, and high standards across the board,” he says.
The Lanes buy imported coffee beans from Colombia, Brazil, and Ethiopia, but they capture the local flavors by sourcing local produce and goods when possible. They source their honey from Pat’s Apiaries in Wahneta and their milk from Borden Dairy in Winter Haven.
They were named Overall Champions in both the Golden Bean World Series (the world’s largest roasting competition) and the 2024 Golden Bean The Americas. They got their first national medal in 2023 and won at the world competition in Melbourne, Australia in 2024, beating thousands of roasters in Australia and the U.S.
As far as being considered the cool place for hot coffee, he says it’s the coffee, the pastries and the employees that are the real draw.
“I’d like to tell you it’s how much we care about our coffee, the pastries and all these things, but what I’ve learned is it’s 100 percent because of my people,” he says. “We’re going to take care of you. We’re going to love on you. [The employees] are what drives who we are as a company. We’re a people industry and we want our customers to be taken care of.”