Coffee roasters say opening business was a leap of faith
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POCATELLO — About three years ago, Travis and Megan Voskamp took a leap of faith.
After years of dreaming about it, Travis, a school teacher who loved to roast coffee, and his wife, who has always loved a cup of joe, especially when it provided an opportunity to linger with friends, decided to pursue their passions and start a business. That’s how Leapknot Coffee Roasters was born.
“We were timid to go in a completely different direction in life, but that is now part of the mission of Leapknot — to inspire others to take a leap of faith in their own lives,” Megan said.
The couple defines Leapknot as “an interlacing of coffee and people striving to live uncommon lives.”
“This is the great hope of the roastery, to be a place that makes wonderful coffee and encourages those that we come across to make the most of their lives,” Travis said.
The Voskamps started their business in Midland, Texas, in 2013, but when they had a chance to move to Pocatello, where they have relatives and more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, they said they took another leap and moved their family 1,245 miles.
They recently reopened Leapknot Coffee Roasters at 6071 W. Buckskin Road in Pocatello.
“We are located in a really cool copper-roofed barn overlooking the old Caribou ski area just east of Pocatello, Idaho,” Travis said, adding that the location is beautiful and the area’s history of gathering and adventure is a perfect fit for their growing business. “Roasting here on Buckskin Road really feels like we are a part of a legacy and we think that is special.”
The Voskamps sell single-origin coffees and blends. While they do most of their sales through their website, leapknot.com, they also have business hours on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., so people can stop by and pick up their coffee orders in person, tour the facility or buy brewers, mugs, shirts and other merchandise.
“What is unique about our business is we only roast coffee once it is ordered, so our customers receive their coffee at its peak of freshness,” Megan said. “A fresh-roasted cup of coffee is an entirely different experience than coffee beans that have been sitting on the shelf.”
The Voskamps say roasting coffee is an art.
“Roasting is not like making popcorn — you do more than push a button and wait for the timer to bing,” Travis said. “You have to watch, smell and listen, and in these details you learn how to develop the bean and make something special that shows itself in the cup. We still have a lot to learn as roasters, and the good thing is there are a lot of guys out there that have been roasting for decades and most of them are not stingy with their art. They like to share and encourage the next generation of roasters, so we are constantly learning and working on our craft.”
Travis said they have four house blends that they have developed over the years, and they plan to debut their first espresso roast, “Lift Ticket,” named for the Caribou ski area, soon.
While he knows there are many quality coffee roasters in this part of the world — there’s even others nearby, like Bills Beans, which is also based in Pocatello — Travis says he and his wife are working to set their business apart in the way they care for their customers.
“We strive to understand the culture of every individual, coffee shop or restaurant that we roast for and we work hard to make sure we are delivering our product in a way that helps their business shine,” Travis said. “We also love getting to simply chat with and get to know our customers. We enjoy learning other people’s stories and what sort of dreams they may have. When we can find ways to encourage or inspire people to be courageous and take a leap of faith toward something they care about, it really leaves Megs and I feeling complete in our work.”
This article was originally published in the Idaho State Journal. It is used here with permission.