Discover Lil’ Red
Lil’ Red Roaster was inspired by the 5am club. The driven, go-getters up before the sun, who wipe their tired eyes and push forward because they have a job to do. It was inspired by the dreamers who know that life is a marathon not a sprint and by the caretakers who always put others first.
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Family owned and locally roasted. Born in the Carolinas.
We are focused on one simple vision: To provide a moment of calm before the chaos with a unique tasting experience of evenly roasted, rich, full-bodied flavor in every sip. Lil' Red is roasted in small batches. Our roasting process preserves the optimal flavor profile of our beans so that you receive the same high-quality coffee with every order.
Welcome to your moment of calm.
Welcome to the best start to your day.
Welcome to a new state of bean.
Why Lil’ Red Roaster
At Lil Red Roaster, we focus on serving coffee that’s crafted with care and tailored to our customers. Here’s why thousands of people across the Southeast choose us:
Brewed by the Best
Our Roast Master brings precision, passion, and expertise to every batch, ensuring that each roast achieves the perfect balance of flavor. From smooth blends to bold single origins, our coffee is crafted to delight in every sip.
Freshness Guaranteed
Roasted in small batches at our facility in Raleigh, North Carolina, every bag of Lil’ Red Roaster coffee delivers peak freshness and flavor, whether you enjoy it at home, at work, or on the go.
Sourced with Purpose
We source high-quality beans to meet our customers' standards for taste and value. While partnering with Nayardo, a farmer in Nicaragua, we also rely on trusted suppliers for consistency and affordability. As we grow, we plan to offer premium, top-tier roasts for a more elevated coffee experience.
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Coffee You Probably Already Drink
With over 3,600 businesses serving our coffee, we’ve reached thousands of coffee drinkers across the Southeast. “If you drink coffee at work or on the go, chances are, you’ve already enjoyed Lil Red Roaster.”
Rooted in North Carolina
For over four decades, our owners have been serving coffee to businesses across the Outer Banks and the Southeast. Inspired by this legacy, Lil Red Roaster was born to provide great coffee at a great price to our community and beyond. We’re proud to call North Carolina home and serve the good people of the Southeast.
Our Coffee
Eclipse Blend
“All tasting notes perfectly align in this dark roast blend to create a syrupy and bittersweet sipping experience. Hints of dried fruit are followed by a smoky, dark chocolate finish. This blend is black coffee drinker approved, but pairs well with milk and sugar.”
$16.50
- taste:Dried fruit - Dark Chocolate - Molasses
- Region:Peru & Brazil
Nicaragua 70/30
“A classic, bright, round body coffee with a silky sweet honey core. Mid tones of chocolate and nuts balanced with a slight hint of tobacco make this a great choice for those who drink their coffee black.”
$16.50
- taste:Honey - Milk Chocolate - Tobacco
- Region:Nicaragua & Honduras
Mexico 435
“Grown on the rich soils of southern Mexico, you won’t be able to resist the supremely smooth almost silky mouthfeel of this medium roast. Our beans are carefully roasted so that you can taste the wellbalanced flavor set of slight citric acidity and toffee. A nutty, semi-sweet chocolate finish rounds out this superb easy-drinker. Great black or with cream and sugar.”
$16.50
- taste:Semi-Sweet Chocolate - Toffee - Nutty
- Region:Chiapas, Mexico
Breakfast Blend
“One sip of this breakfast blend will create a mild yet zippy burst of flavor. Take in pure bliss with the meyer lemon acidity, nougat mid tones and cocoa powder finish. This breakfast blend makes it easy to grab a second cup.”
$16.50
- taste:Meyer Lemon - Cocoa - Nougat
- Region:Bolivia & Nicaragua
Decaf Honduras
“So smooth and clean, you'll forget you're drinking decaf! A soft citric acidity weaves between hints of raisin and vanilla, gliding into a strong nutty finish.”
$16.50
- taste:Raisin - Vanilla - Cashew - Milk Chocolate
- Region:Honduras
As a small boutique roaster, we collaborate with trusted importers to source our green coffee. While our size limits direct sourcing relationships, it also allows us to carefully select from a wide range of coffees that meet our desired price and quality standards. As we grow, we look forward to increasing our impact in coffee-growing regions and fostering meaningful change.
We value transparency and awareness over the cost of multiple certifications, which often benefit the certifying organizations more than the farmers themselves. Many Central American farms, for instance, naturally avoid chemical fertilizers but choose not to pay for certification badges. Instead of focusing solely on certifications like organic, we prioritize working with reputable distributors to find exceptional coffees that allow us to create curated blends. Our goal is to deliver great coffee at a fair price while staying true to the needs of our customers and farmers alike.
All of our coffee is roasted in small batches in Raleigh, North Carolina, by our expert Roast Master.
At Lil Red Roaster, our focus is on roasting coffee that delivers a consistently great cup. We’re not chasing the rarest or hardest-to-source beans; instead, we aim to cater to the everyday coffee drinker who values a fresh, well-roasted cup of coffee. Our mission is to provide quality and flavor that elevates your daily coffee experience without overcomplicating it.
Single Origins:
- Mexico 435
- Decaf Honduras
Blends:
- Breakfast Blend
- Nicaragua 70/30
- Eclipse Blend
Did you know that freshly roasted coffee is packed with CO₂ that needs time to escape before it reaches peak flavor? If you’ve ever seen a bag of coffee that looks puffed up, it’s because it was packaged before the CO₂ fully released.
At Lil Red Roaster, we use special one-way valves in our packaging to solve this. These valves allow the coffee to “off-gas” naturally, letting the CO₂ escape while preventing oxygen from entering. This is key because oxygen is coffee’s worst enemy—it speeds up oxidation and causes the coffee to lose its flavor.
Our coffee is roasted to order, packaged immediately in these oxygen-free bags, and allowed to mature properly. This ensures you enjoy your coffee at its freshest and most flavorful state every time.
Yes! Our website allows you to purchase your favorite blends and single-origin coffees for home brewing.
Our coffees are versatile and work beautifully with methods like drip, French press, pour-over, and espresso machines. Check out our Coffee Tips for brewing tips and tricks.
We’re working on it! Lil Red Roaster began in the office coffee channel through our sister company, Capitol Coffee. Today, you can find our coffee in offices, car dealerships, and apartment clubhouses all across the South. If you’ve spent time in any of these places, there’s a good chance you’ve already enjoyed our coffee.
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