We recently connected with Chantelle Ramcharan and have shared our conversation below.

Chantelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

One of the biggest risks we’ve taken as business owners is stepping into coffee roasting, especially after everything it took just to keep our doors open.
We opened The Sippery Coffee Co. during COVID, which meant learning how to run a business in constant uncertainty. There were shutdowns, supply chain issues, rising costs, and moments where we truly didn’t know how we were going to make payroll. It was a season of survival.
By 2023, we were finally able to step back and look closely at our expenses. Coffee was one of our biggest costs, and it made us start asking whether we could take that piece on ourselves.
Around the same time, my husband David’s interest in roasting started to grow. Friends of ours mentioned it was similar to smoking meat, which he already loved, and that was all it took. His free time quickly turned into research. Cooking videos became roasting videos. Podcasts, YouTube, late nights learning about drop temperatures and sourcing beans. I fell asleep most nights to the sound of it.
We didn’t have a clear plan for how to make it happen, and that was part of the risk. We were already running a business and raising a family, and this added a whole new layer of complexity. But it also felt like an opportunity to create something more sustainable and more personal.
What started as curiosity has turned into something real. It has strengthened our business, given us more control over what we serve, and deepened our connection to it.
Looking back, it was a risk on top of an already uncertain journey, but it has been one of the most meaningful steps forward for us.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m the owner of The Sippery Coffee Co., a small-town coffee shop that has grown into something much bigger than we ever expected.
Before opening the shop, I was working full time in real estate and my husband David was established in his career as an occupational therapist. At the time, there was a lot of uncertainty around the housing market, and we saw what we thought might be a slower season as an opportunity to build something new for our community. What we didn’t realize was just how difficult things would become for small businesses. Even once the pandemic felt like it was ending, the challenges were far from over, and in many ways, we had underestimated what was ahead.
Our “why” from the beginning was simple. During COVID, we watched how divided people became. So much interaction moved online, and with that came a lot of negativity and disconnection. We felt like what people needed most was a place to sit across from each other again, to have real conversations, and to feel welcomed no matter who they were. That’s what we set out to create.
Over time, something else became just as important to us, and that’s our team. We typically employ 12 to 15 people, many of them in their first job. For a lot of them, this is how they support themselves through school or early adulthood. Being able to create a space where they can learn, grow, and be mentored has become one of the most meaningful parts of what we do. Some of our past employees still stop in when they’re back in town and keep us updated on their lives, and those relationships mean everything to us.
What sets The Sippery apart is the role it has taken on in our town. One of the things we hear most often is that people can’t imagine Monmouth without it. It has become an unofficial gathering place, somewhere people come not just for coffee, but for connection, consistency, and a sense of comfort.
What I’m most proud of is the culture we’ve built and the impact it’s had on both our team and our community. Behind the drinks and the day-to-day operations, there’s a deeper purpose driving everything we do.
I want people to know that this isn’t just a business to us. It’s something we’ve built with intention, through a lot of trial and error, and with a genuine desire to create a place where people feel like they belong.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Up until recently, not really. Most of our revenue has come directly from in-shop sales, which is a big part of why stepping into roasting has been such an exciting opportunity for us.
Our first priority with roasting is to create a product we’re genuinely proud to serve and sell. From there, it opens the door to several new revenue streams that feel like a natural extension of what we’re already doing. We’re currently in the early stages of rolling out retail coffee, with two blends now available in-shop, and we’ve applied to participate in our local farmers market.
Looking ahead, we’re excited about the potential for wholesale accounts and what it could look like to partner with other businesses. We’re also developing a coffee catering side of the business for events like weddings, conferences, and other gatherings. We’re in the process of building out pricing and creating a dedicated page on our website for inquiries.
We’ve also recently invested in a new piece of equipment that we’re not quite ready to share yet, but it’s something we’re really excited about. It will play a big role in our catering and market setups and allow us to offer something we haven’t seen done locally before.
Overall, roasting has given us the ability to grow in a more sustainable and creative way, and we’re just getting started.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

One of the most impactful things we’ve done to maintain high morale is create true employee buy-in.
Our staff aren’t just employees, they’re genuinely some of our biggest supporters. That comes from involving them in the process. We include them in decisions when we can, we’re honest about what’s working and what isn’t, and we give them space to share ideas and contribute in meaningful ways. We also encourage them to bring parts of themselves into their work, whether that’s creativity, interests, or personal strengths.
Over time, that has created something really special. Our team cares about each other. They spend time together outside of work, they support one another, and they’ve built a culture where they want to see each other succeed. Because of that, they’re willing to hold each other accountable and have hard conversations when needed.
I’m incredibly proud of the environment they’ve created. At this point, our team and the culture they’ve built is one of the best and most meaningful parts of our business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesipperyoregon.com
• Instagram: thesipperycoffeeco
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/thesipperyoregon

Image Credits

@chandrareynoldsphotography @jedidiahpearson_photography