By Skylar Fuser
I walk into Cirque Coffee Roasters, a bustling coffee
shop in Tulsa, OK, on one of its renowned “roasting days.” I am greeted by a
vibrant 25-year-old man named John Pierce, who has been happily roasting coffee
beans by hand all morning. So young, yet an owner of this new, popular shop in
Tulsa.
He quickly picks out a “quaker,” a bean that is discolored
and can give the coffee a rancid taste. I quietly watch as the experienced
hands sort through the entire batch and listen as he tells me his story.
After gaining experience in roasting from a master in
Kansas City, MO, John moved back to Tulsa. It was here that he encountered an
old high school friend, Garrett O’Dell, and decided to pursue a shop of their
own.
“We both quit our jobs,”
John said excitedly.
What sets Cirque apart from the rest of the shops in
Tulsa, and maybe in the entire state, is the amount of time and thought put
into each drink.
“I know a lot about coffee, so it would be a
disservice to my customers if I didn’t go through all the steps,” John said.
Each barista goes through six weeks of intensive
training. Morgan Steele, who has worked at Cirque for around eight months, said
she had “never felt more prepared for a job.”
All signature drinks are invented by the baristas.
Morgan shared with me about her Chai, which she co-created with John. She
worked to spice a house-made syrup for the drink, a very unique process that
sets its flavor apart from all others.
One frequent customer, Louie Carreno, shared with me
about his favorite drink at the time. Louie’s favorite drink was the “Ode to
Arnold,” an interesting take on a classic Arnold Palmer.
“The flavors of the drink were sublime,” Carreno said
of one of Cirque’s first signature drinks.
John also gave a glimpse as to the future of Cirque,
which is about to experience a few renovations.
They have recently leased the unit next door to make
space for training new team members and larger areas for roasting. This will also allow the shop to expand customer
seating and keep up with the ever-growing clientele.
If you would like more information about Cirque, or to shop its exclusive, specially-chosen coffees, visit http://www.cirquecoffee.com/.
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