City of Saints Coffee Roasters - Specialty Coffee Roaster \| Unpacking Coffee [Skip to content](#main-content) [ ![Unpacking Coffee Logo](/images/cuppin-logo.svg) Unpacking Coffee ](https://unpacking.coffee) [ Coffees ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees) [ Roasters ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters) [ Cuppings ](https://unpacking.coffee/cuppings) [ Recipes ](https://unpacking.coffee/recipes) [ Origins ](https://unpacking.coffee/origins) [ Log in ](https://unpacking.coffee/login) [ ](https://unpacking.coffee/login "Log in") [ Register ](https://unpacking.coffee/register) [ ](https://unpacking.coffee/register "Register") [ Roasters ](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters) City of Saints Coffee Roasters City of Saints Coffee Roasters ============================== Brooklyn, New York, United States · Roasting since 2014 City of Saints Coffee Roasters is a Brooklyn-based specialty roaster founded in late 2014 by friends Matt Wade and Joe Palozzi. Headquartered in a cavernous Bushwick roastery on Meserole Street, the company also operates cafés in the East Village and Hoboken and focuses on single-origin coffees. Log In to Cup Log in to your account Enter your email and password to continue Email address Password Remember me Cancel Log in Need an account? [Sign up](https://unpacking.coffee/register?intended=https%3A%2F%2Funpacking.coffee%2Fcupping%2Fnew%3Froaster_id%3D69) On the record --------------- Coffees 0 Cuppings 0 The roaster ------------- Based in Brooklyn, New York, United States Since 2014 Website [cityofsaintscoffee.com](https://www.cityofsaintscoffee.com) Added May 2025 The interview ------------- From the Unpacking Coffee video series, 2015–2019. ![](/storage/roaster-profiles/69/featured-1200.webp) Watch the interview Episode 034 · November 1, 2016 City Of Saints Coffee Roasters, Meserole Street, Brooklyn, NY, United States ### From the episode - [City of Saints Coffee Roasters](http://cityofsaintscoffee.com/) - [City of Saints Coffee Roasters on Instagram](https://instagram.com/cityofsaintscoffee/) - [City of Saints Coffee Roasters on Twitter](https://twitter.com/cityofsaintscr) - [Full interview with Matt Wagner](https://unpacking.coffee/matt-wagner/) Read the transcript HELLO Ray: What's up, Bushwick? I'm Ray. Kandace: I'm Kandace. Ray: This is Unpacking Coffee today. Kandace: City of Saints. This is some kick-ass coffee. Can I say kick ass here? Is it okay? Ray: No. You just bumped us up to explicit. Kandace: This is a fantastic coffee. No, that's boring though. It does kick ass. EARLY DAYS Ray: City of Saints is located in New York City. They started by roasting in the ... Kandace: Pulley. They got their start, yes, in the Pulley Collective and we've heard about the Pulley Collective previously with Joe Coffee. They also ... Ray: Oh, sure, Joe of New York. Kandace: Joe. Came out of the Pulley Collective. They're considered one of the big success stories of the Pulley Collective because this is a place where you can go and you can roast coffee. Three years later, they have three locations and a roastery, and they're killing it. They got this really kick-ass roaster. ROASTER Ray: The Loring roaster? Kandace: Yes. Ray: Yes. Kandace: Yes. Ray: That looks really cool. Kandace: Research, Ray. Ray: You just told me before the show. I just remembered what you said. JOE PALOZZI Kandace: It's cool and they've been opening up their space to other people that come in and roast, too. They're being good community members. We spoke to Joe Palozzi from City of Saints. Joe's going to tell us about how they got started. Joe: My name is Joe Palozzi and I'm director of operations City of Saints Coffee Roasters. Kandace: Joe started as a roaster, but he has blossomed into an everything guy and so, I think other people are roasting now. Joe: We started as takeaway coffee shop and then decided to become vertical, integrated coffee roasting facility. COMMUNITY ETHOS Kandace: This coffee roaster in particular is all about community. When I see them talking in interviews, they use the word camaraderie a lot. They use the word community. Cha-ching, cha-ching ... Ray: If you're playing coffee roaster bingo, you already have ... It's interesting that compared to the roasters that we've talked about recently whose packaging was kind of minimal and who felt that the space would sort of speak for itself and the coffee would sort of ... The approach here with City of Saints is almost the opposite. These are literal representations of what's inside the space. If you look inside the City of Saints spaces, this is the graffiti on the wall. You can't mistake those spaces from ... They're indistinguishable from the coffee packaging itself, which is kind of ... THE BUSHWICK COLLECTIVE Kandace: This art is by Dasic Fernandez and a fellow that goes by the name of Mr. Nerds and they came from the Bushwick Collective. The Bushwick Collective is a group that's been painting murals all over the area and so, Bushwick is starting to have this really particular look. Ray: Criminals. Joe I have a little party here in the community, paint some walls, the whole community came out. The artists painting on the walls, it was a great experience. I woke up the next day like I took a pill and I felt happy like I was a kid again. That party was great and it symbolized everything that I wanted. It was everything I had lost, which was family. One thing led to another and I ended up falling in love with street art and graff, and I ran with it. https://youtu.be/7n5pDoKAcgw Kandace: City of Saints got a hold of them and asked them to paint the interior of their space and started using the art, too. That's another way that they're really supporting the community. Ray: The packaging is interesting in that it is just these giant cardboard boxes with cellophane bags with the one-way vent inside. Kandace: No coffee inside. Ray: They didn't have coffee inside. Joe: When we were deciding on what we wanted to do for our box design, we got these two great Bushwick Collective murals on our walls and I said, "Well, why don't we just make the walls the box?" Since they're really in a pretty good dimension aspect ratio, I was like, "We just take these and get them to go." Kandace: I loved how most of the information is on the bottom here and then they take all of this space to show the art. It's fantastic. They're not even covering it up in the end, in the back, on the back end, back end ART & COMMUNITY There's so much to be said about the way that art can support a community and I think that City of Saints is really into that. We brought in Portland's own Matt Wagner. Matt: I’m Matt Wagner. I own Hellion Gallery. I write art books, the Tall Trees of series. I'm one of the producers of the Forest for the Trees Mural Festival here in Portland. Kandace: Matt Wagner puts on a curated citywide show called the Tall Trees of Portland where he brings in mural artists from all over the world and businesses and spaces donate walls and the artists come in and create the murals. Matt: Instead of having these buildings with these blank walls or really crappy graffiti on it, these businesses get to interact with an artist and have something beautiful on the outside of their building. Ray: City of Saints of Bushwick in Brooklyn in New York City in New York in the United States, Planet Earth. Watch the Show https://vimeo.com/189695192 HELLO Ray: What's up, Bushwick? I'm Ray. Kandace: I'm Kandace. Ray: This is Unpacking Coffee today. Kandace: City of Saints. This is some kick-ass coffee. Can I say kick ass here? Is it okay? Ray: No. You just bumped us up to explicit. Kandace: This is a fantastic coffee. No, that's boring though. It does kick ass. EARLY DAYS Ray: City of Saints is located in New York City. They started by roasting in the ... Kandace: Pulley. They got their start, yes, in the Pulley Collective and we've heard about the Pulley Collective previously with Joe Coffee. They also ... Ray: Oh, sure, Joe of New York. Kandace: Joe. Came out of the Pulley Collective. They're considered one of the big success stories of the Pulley Collective because this is a place where you can go and you can roast coffee. Three years later, they have three locations and a roastery, and they're killing it. They got this really kick-ass roaster. ROASTER Ray: The Loring roaster? Kandace: Yes. Ray: Yes. Kandace: Yes. Ray: That looks really cool. Kandace: Research, Ray. Ray: You just told me before the show. I just remembered what you said. JOE PALOZZI Kandace: It's cool and they've been opening up their space to other people that come in and roast, too. They're being good community members. We spoke to Joe Palozzi from City of Saints. Joe's going to tell us about how they got started. Joe: My name is Joe Palozzi and I'm director of operations City of Saints Coffee Roasters. Kandace: Joe started as a roaster, but he has blossomed into an everything guy and so, I think other people are roasting now. Joe: We started as takeaway coffee shop and then decided to become vertical, integrated coffee roasting facility. COMMUNITY ETHOS Kandace: This coffee roaster in particular is all about community. When I see them talking in interviews, they use the word camaraderie a lot. They use the word community. Cha-ching, cha-ching ... Ray: If you're playing coffee roaster bingo, you already have ... It's interesting that compared to the roasters that we've talked about recently whose packaging was kind of minimal and who felt that the space would sort of speak for itself and the coffee would sort of ... The approach here with City of Saints is almost the opposite. These are literal representations of what's inside the space. If you look inside the City of Saints spaces, this is the graffiti on the wall. You can't mistake those spaces from ... They're indistinguishable from the coffee packaging itself, which is kind of ... THE BUSHWICK COLLECTIVE Kandace: This art is by Dasic Fernandez and a fellow that goes by the name of Mr. Nerds and they came from the Bushwick Collective. The Bushwick Collective is a group that's been painting murals all over the area and so, Bushwick is starting to have this really particular look. Ray: Criminals. Joe I have a little party here in the community, paint some walls, the whole community came out. The artists painting on the walls, it was a great experience. I woke up the next day like I took a pill and I felt happy like I was a kid again. That party was great and it symbolized everything that I wanted. It was everything I had lost, which was family. One thing led to another and I ended up falling in love with street art and graff, and I ran with it. https://youtu.be/7n5pDoKAcgw Kandace: City of Saints got a hold of them and asked them to paint the interior of their space and started using the art, too. That's another way that they're really supporting the community. Ray: The packaging is interesting in that it is just these giant cardboard boxes with cellophane bags with the one-way vent inside. Kandace: No coffee inside. Ray: They didn't have coffee inside. Joe: When we were deciding on what we wanted to do for our box design, we got these two great Bushwick Collective murals on our walls and I said, "Well, why don't we just make the walls the box?" Since they're really in a pretty good dimension aspect ratio, I was like, "We just take these and get them to go." Kandace: I loved how most of the information is on the bottom here and then they take all of this space to show the art. It's fantastic. They're not even covering it up in the end, in the back, on the back end, back end ART & COMMUNITY There's so much to be said about the way that art can support a community and I think that City of Saints is really into that. We brought in Portland's own Matt Wagner. Matt: I’m Matt Wagner. I own Hellion Gallery. I write art books, the Tall Trees of series. I'm one of the producers of the Forest for the Trees Mural Festival here in Portland. Kandace: Matt Wagner puts on a curated citywide show called the Tall Trees of Portland where he brings in mural artists from all over the world and businesses and spaces donate walls and the artists come in and create the murals. Matt: Instead of having these buildings with these blank walls or really crappy graffiti on it, these businesses get to interact with an artist and have something beautiful on the outside of their building. Ray: City of Saints of Bushwick in Brooklyn in New York City in New York in the United States, Planet Earth. Watch the Show https://vimeo.com/189695192 Coffees ------- No coffees from City of Saints Coffee Roasters yet. Cup one and it goes on the record here. Use filters or recent searches to refine your results. Press Esc to close. Filters 12 showing Users 0 Coffees 0 Roasters 0 Recipes 0 Explore featured coffees Start typing to search across the entire database. [ ### [ Arturo Paz, Dark Room Dried: Natural Geisha, Honduras ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/206-arturo-paz-dark-room-dried-natural-geisha-honduras) by [Ritual Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/180-ritual-coffee-roasters) Process Natural Varieties [Geisha](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/16-geisha) Country [Honduras](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/honduras) Harvest June 2026 Source El Itacayo First noted Oct 20, 2026 Last tasted Oct 20, 2026 1 cupping [ elderflower syrup](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/264 "elderflower syrup") [ honey](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/22 "honey") [ stonefruit](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/102 "stonefruit") [ citrus](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/110 "citrus") [ candied tropical fruit](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/265 "candied tropical fruit") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/206-arturo-paz-dark-room-dried-natural-geisha-honduras) [ ### [ Indian coffee beans from Coorg, Karnataka, India ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/205-indian-coffee-beans-from-coorg-karnataka-india) by [Paul John Caffeine](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/307-paul-john-caffeine) Country [India](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/india) Region Karnataka Source Indian Coffee Beans From Coorg, Karnataka, India First noted Oct 14, 2026 Last tasted Oct 14, 2026 1 cupping ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/205-indian-coffee-beans-from-coorg-karnataka-india) [ ### [ Jhoan Vergara Las Flores Pink Bourbon ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/204-jhoan-vergara-las-flores-pink-bourbon) by [Kafiex Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/249-kafiex-roasters) Process Thermal Shock Washed Varieties [Pink Bourbon](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/1-pink-bourbon) Country [Colombia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/colombia) Region Huila Source Jhoan Vergara First noted Oct 13, 2026 Last tasted Oct 13, 2026 1 cupping [ froot loops](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/262 "froot loops") [ candied lemon drop](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/263 "candied lemon drop") [ green apple](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/116 "green apple") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/204-jhoan-vergara-las-flores-pink-bourbon) [ ### [ Mama Cherri ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/203-mama-cherri) by [Creature Coffee](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/84-creature-coffee) Process Washed Varieties [Caturra](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/12-caturra), [Catuaí](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/11-catuai) Country [Costa Rica](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/costa-rica) Region Coto Brus Source Doña Isa First noted Oct 09, 2026 Last tasted Oct 09, 2026 1 cupping [ cherry pie](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/141 "cherry pie") [ caramel corn](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/261 "caramel corn") [ butterscotch](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/32 "butterscotch") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/203-mama-cherri) [ ### [ Uganda 96 Hour Natural ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/202-uganda-96-hour-natural) by [DOMA Coffee Roasting Company](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/268-doma-coffee-roasting-company) Process Natural Varieties [SL14](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/102-sl14), [SL28](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/30-sl28), [Nyasaland](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/103-nyasaland) Country [Uganda](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/uganda) Region Mt. Elgon Elevation 1400 - 2000 maslm Harvest 2026 Source The Coffee Yards/norman Mukuru First noted Oct 05, 2026 Last tasted Oct 05, 2026 1 cupping [ cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/5 "cherry") [ lime](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/19 "lime") [ fudge](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/128 "fudge") [ dark chocolate](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/34 "dark chocolate") [ lemon candy](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/251 "lemon candy") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/202-uganda-96-hour-natural) [ ### [ Mustefa Abakeno ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/201-mustefa-abakeno) by [Marigold Coffee](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/252-marigold-coffee) Country [Ethiopia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/ethiopia) Region Oromia First noted Oct 05, 2026 Last tasted Oct 05, 2026 1 cupping [ orange peel](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/132 "orange peel") [ honeysuckle](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/62 "honeysuckle") [ cacao nibs](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/241 "cacao nibs") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/201-mustefa-abakeno) [ ### [ Dark Star ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/200-dark-star) by [Little Amps Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/306-little-amps-coffee-roasters) Process Natural Varieties [74110](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/85-74110) Country [Ethiopia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/ethiopia) Region Jimma Elevation 1950-2150m First noted Sep 29, 2026 Last tasted Oct 21, 2026 1 cupping [ dark chocolate](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/34 "dark chocolate") [ berries](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/199 "berries") [ jammy](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/169 "jammy") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/200-dark-star) [ ### [ Friend Blend ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/199-friend-blend) by [Little Amps Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/306-little-amps-coffee-roasters) Process Washed Varieties [Caturra](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/12-caturra), [Landrace](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/40-landrace) Country [Ethiopia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/ethiopia) Elevation 1600 (Colombia)m First noted Sep 29, 2026 Last tasted Oct 16, 2026 1 cupping [ caramel](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/23 "caramel") [ citrus](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/110 "citrus") [ milk chocolate](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/199-friend-blend) [ ### [ Kajere Honey ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/198-kajere-honey) by [Counter Culture Coffee](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/46-counter-culture-coffee) Process Honey Country [Uganda](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/uganda) Region Bulambuli First noted Sep 26, 2026 Last tasted Sep 28, 2026 2 cuppings [ black cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/176 "black cherry") [ raw sugar](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/160 "raw sugar") [ grape](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/11 "grape") [ butterscotch](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/32 "butterscotch") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/198-kajere-honey) [ ### [ Headliner Seasonal Blend ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/197-headliner-seasonal-blend) by [Broadsheet Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/300-broadsheet-coffee-roasters) First noted Sep 17, 2026 Last tasted Sep 24, 2026 2 cuppings [ cherry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/5 "cherry") [ fudge](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/128 "fudge") [ plum](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/10 "plum") [ milk chocolate](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/33 "milk chocolate") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/197-headliner-seasonal-blend) [ ### [ Strawberry Shake ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/196-strawberry-shake) by [KOS Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/304-kos-coffee-roasters) Process Co-fermented and experimental (Strawberry) Varieties [Pink Bourbon](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/1-pink-bourbon), [Castillo](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/13-castillo) Country [Colombia](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/colombia) Region Quindío Elevation 1400m Source Viviana Martinez First noted Sep 16, 2026 Last tasted Sep 16, 2026 2 cuppings [ strawberries](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/259 "strawberries") [ peach](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/3 "peach") [ creamy](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/260 "creamy") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/196-strawberry-shake) [ ### [ Peru Guardian del Bosque ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/195-peru-guardian-del-bosque) by [Northbound Coffee Roasters](https://unpacking.coffee/roasters/301-northbound-coffee-roasters) Certifications Organic Process Natural Varieties [Geisha](https://unpacking.coffee/varieties/16-geisha) Country [Peru](https://unpacking.coffee/origins/peru) Region Amazonas Harvest 2025 Source Ronal Carranza Montenegro First noted Sep 10, 2026 Last tasted Sep 10, 2026 1 cupping [ dried strawberry](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/248 "dried strawberry") [ floral tropical fruit](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/257 "floral tropical fruit") [ fruit loops cereal](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/258 "fruit loops cereal") [ raw sugar](https://unpacking.coffee/flavors/160 "raw sugar") ](https://unpacking.coffee/coffees/195-peru-guardian-del-bosque)