Ceremony Coffee Roasters

Overview

Ceremony was founded in 2002 by Vincent Iatesta, who taught himself to roast and pull espresso while studying international marketing in the 1990s and started the company out of his parents' garage in Annapolis after a Costa Rica farm trip. The roastery and six cafes across Maryland — Annapolis, Baltimore (Federal Hill, Harbor Point), and Bethesda — joined the Kansas City–based FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective in October 2024, with Iatesta continuing to lead Ceremony as the Collective's first mid-Atlantic brand.

Known for

• Garage-roastery origin in Annapolis (2002)
• 'Coffee should be something special' — founding slogan still in use
• First mid-Atlantic member of FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective (October 2024)
• RAIN brewing process partnership with BKON for ready-to-drink line
• Mid-Atlantic specialty leader with six cafes across Annapolis, Baltimore, and Bethesda

Why it matters

Ceremony has anchored mid-Atlantic specialty coffee for over two decades, building from a single basement-and-garage operation into a six-cafe regional roaster without losing the founder. The 2024 FairWave investment — same Collective that owns Black & White — positions Ceremony as the model for how independent specialty brands can preserve identity inside a scaled portfolio.

Production

head roaster

null

roastery location

90 Russell Street, Annapolis, Maryland

Café

90 Russell Street, Suite 500, Annapolis, MD 21401

Recognitions

• Acquired by FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective (October 2024) — first mid-Atlantic member

Sources

• https://fairwave.com/ceremony-coffee-roasters-joins-fairwave-specialty-coffee-collective/
• https://dailycoffeenews.com/2024/10/29/marylands-ceremony-coffee-now-part-of-fairwave-collective/
• https://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2024/11/annapolis-based-ceremony-coffee-roasters-bought-by-kansas-city-firm/
• https://espro.com/blogs/coffee-talk/roaster-spotlight-ceremony-coffee
• https://beanbox.com/coffee/roaster/ceremony-coffee-roasters/59