Amanda Escobar, right, and her sister Nicole, owners of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, run a coffee shop out of their parents garage, Saturday, July 22, 2022. They began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and open the shop after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Just like most people, Amanda Escobar and her younger sister Nicole were looking for a way to keep busy during the pandemic.
They tried baking but that just wasn’t a good idea when the temptation to eat everything is literally on the table.
But their love of coffee became the inspiration to see if they could roast their own beans.
“We had time on our hands and we’re like, let’s see, can we figure out how to roast coffee,” said Nicole, 28, who at the time was in nursing school, and is now a registered nurse, while Amanda, 31, ran, and still runs her own content marketing company.
Fast forward 15 months later, after perfecting their roasting skills and acquiring the necessary permit from the state, they now run their own coffee cafe out of their parents garage on Bartram Avenue in Atlantic City.
Amanda Escobar and her sister Nicole, owners of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, wait on a customer at their coffee shop located in their parents garage, Saturday, July 22, 2022. They began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and opened the shop after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
On their block, in the Lower Chelsea District, people take pride in their homes, invest in the community and want to see Atlantic City thrive. The sisters want to be a part of that, be a remedy of sorts, while honoring their Colombian roots.
The shop is their contribution.
“This area of Atlantic City is a good poster child for the charm that Atlantic City still has,” said Amanda.
Three major components lead to opening their shop called Remedee — the ambition to start roasting, the state passing a law to allow home-based food businesses with the “Cottage Food Operators Permit,” and being in close proximity to the beach.
During busy times, the line snakes around the side of the three-story house where Amanda and Nicole transform to coffee mixologists behind a table set up under the open garage door. Above hangs a sign: Remedee coffee roasters. A menu written on a mirror stands off to the side.
Amanda Escobar, co-owner of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, serves customers Emily Nahum and her mother Betsy Schwartz, Saturday, July 22, 2022. Along with he sister Nicole, they began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and now operate the coffee shop out of their parent garage after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Since Memorial Day their “little garage coffee shop,” which is only open on weekends, has been a popular stop for locals and tourists alike and as word of mouth grows about their unique drink options so does their business. When the weather gets colder, however, they’re unsure how long they’ll stay open.
Inside the garage, the sisters work quickly while striking up conversations with customers which usually follows with a quick explanation of their business for people not familiar with their story.
“It’s like speakeasy coffee,” said Bianca Grosso, who has been a customer since they opened.
On a recent sunny and hot Saturday July morning the shop was hopping with customers making their way to and from the beach. Remedee is located just a few houses down from the boardwalk which puts it in a high foot traffic area near a popular beach destination.
Looking to cool off, Grosso stopped and ordered a new specialty drink, the Jersey Bloob Coffee Shandy, made with blueberry syrup from Hammonton blueberries of course, fresh lemonade, and their cold brew coffee.
Being from Philadelphia, Grosso would always walk to get her coffee while in the city and since her parents own a home just blocks away from Remedee, walking for her coffee while at the Shore feels right.
Nicole Escobar, co-owner of Remedee Coffee, talks to customer Bianca Grosso, of Philadelphia, Saturday, July 22, 2022. Along with he sister Amanda, they began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and now operate the coffee shop out of their parent garage after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
“This being right round the corner and being so cute it’s perfect.”
The sisters began experimenting with roasting in March of 2021 in their kitchen just above the shop.
They tried many different techniques including roasting in the oven, a cast iron pan over an open flame and using a “real crappy roaster” they ordered online.
“You need three things consistently — time, temperature and agitation so it was just a bunch of different experiments of how we could do that,” said Amanda.
The other part was sourcing which coffee bean to roast.
They ordered from a few different suppliers and tried a multitude of beans from each until they settled on a bean from the Antioquia region of Colombia, South America.
Their Bartram Rose is a medium dark roast coffee. The beans are grown at high altitude so they end up having a more acidic fruit-forward profile with a nutty or chocolatey finish, explained Amanda.
Monday is roasting day and the sweet aroma of coffee can be detected all along Bartram Avenue.
Inside the kitchen the sisters work together effortlessly as they watch over the four modified home roasters that each roasts 10 ounces of beans.
Green coffee beans are held over roasted coffee beans during roasting day for Remedy Coffee in Atlantic City, Monday, July 24, 2022. Amanda Escobar and her sister Nicole learned how to roast coffee beans then opened their own coffee shop out of their parents garage. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
On this particular Monday their goal was to roast 50 pounds of beans, an increase from their customary 30 pounds.
Yes, business is good and is exceeding their expectations, they said.
By accident Ed Quinn discovered Remedee with his wife, Kristina and 18 month-old daughter, Remi, a fitting name for a customer of the shop, while dropping them off by the Boardwalk.
Quinn, who happens to be president of Moonraker Coffee Roasters out of Philadelphia, said he had to stop in and try their coffee, and ordered a cold brew.
“I think this is a real crowd pleaser,” he said.
While there, Quinn and the sisters talked coffee, roasting, and a few craft secrets before exchanging numbers for future collaborations.
Amanda Escobar, right, and her sister Nicole, owners of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, talk to Ed Quinn, of Philadelphia, outside of their shop, Saturday, July 22, 2022. The sisters began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and now operate the coffee shop out of their parents garage after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
“As a coffee guy I would say they are nailing it, because I still taste a little bit of the acidity,” he said, noting that it helps bring out the nuances in the beans.
The sisters didn’t perfect their roast until February of this year and applied for their cottage permit in April. New Jersey made the permits available for “cottage food businesses” in October of 2021.
“I was like, ‘hey, we should really think about this in terms of a legitimate business because there’s opportunity. This just eliminated a barrier to entry for small people like us with no money,’” explained Amanda.
On busy days they serve approximately 100 people between the hours of 7 a.m and 1 p.m.
The specialty coffee drinks include many different cold brew options like the blueberry and the very popular Blood Orange Coffee Shandy, a cold brew coffee made with homemade blood orange syrup and fresh lemonade.
Nicole Escobar, co-owner of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, pours a cold brew coffee, Saturday, July 22, 2022. Along with he sister Amanda, they began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and now operate the coffee shop out of their parent garage after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The combination of lemonade and coffee may seem odd but what better way to pair two Jersey Shore favorites? It was inspired by Italians putting a lemon in their espresso.
“We said ‘what is the approachable version of that for the Jersey Shore,’” explained Amanda, who knew the citrus flavor of the lemon would balance well with their coffee.
Self proclaimed coffee snobs Sarah Barlow and her boyfriend Paul Kohan walked approximately three miles or about an hour down the Boardwalk in the heat and humidity just to try the the Jersey Bloob Coffee Shandy.
For the Atlantic City couple it was their third time visiting the shop though they have yet to try just the coffee.
“We kind of called an audible based on what we saw that they did and had,” said Kohan, when describing how they decided what to order. They opted for the lemonade cold brew drinks made with homemade syrups.
“And it was delicious,” said Barlow.
Amanda Escobar, right, and her sister Nicole, co-owners of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, wait on customers Sarah Barlow and her boyfriend Paul Kohan, of Atlantic City, Saturday, July 22, 2022. They began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and now operate the coffee shop out of their parent garage after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
It didn’t take long for Kohan to down his drink as he stood outside the shop. Slurping the last bit from his cup he decided to order another for the long, hot walk back home.
As their business continues to grow, the sisters have bigger goals in sight as they see the coffee industry trending in the same direction as the craft beer industry — be approachable and to focus on the story and the craft behind it.
“Our ultimate goal would be to bring a whole industry to Atlantic City in an experiential way,” Amanda explained.
Instead of a flight of beer, a flight of coffee.
Both agree roasting shouldn’t be elitist— after all coffee didn’t start out that way.
Amanda Escobar, right, and her sister Nicole, owners of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, wait on customers at their coffee shop, Saturday, July 22, 2022. After learning how to roast coffee beans they now serve coffee out of their parents garage. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
“Up in the growing regions of Colombia sometimes you don’t even have electricity, yet people are roasting amazing coffee,” Amanda said.
The sisters are proud to represent women and minorities in the coffee industry and said they are ready to face any skepticism as they work their way up from their garage coffee shop.
“We’re never gonna give up on being women in business and women in coffee,” said Amanda. “We’re not scared.”
And they want to be an inspiration to other women and minority entrepreneurs who might be turned off by the disadvantages they may face, and just go for it like they did.
“We’re just a couple of girls roasting coffee in their house and selling it out of their garage,” said Amanda.
Amanda Escobar, co-owner of Remedee Coffee, enters her parents garage where with her sister Nicole, operate a coffee shop in Atlantic City, Saturday, July 22, 2022. They began roasting coffee beans during the pandemic and open the shop after applying for a Cottage Food Operators Permit. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Amanda Escobar, left, and her sister Nicole, owners of Remedee Coffee in Atlantic City, talk to customers at their coffee shop, Saturday, July 22, 2022. After learning how to roast coffee beans they now serve coffee out of their parents garage. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Tim on Instagram @photog_hawk.
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