New York Congressional District #16

District Success Story:
Aroma Coffee Roast

Aroma Coffee Roast was founded by David Nadelson in Larchmont in 1992. His initial goal was to serve the finest coffee imported from across the globe to the local community. The fun, community-based atmosphere coupled with five-star coffee, quickly established the shop as a must-see for local and visiting patrons. Local artist Charles James (C.J.) Reilly III, whose pen and ink drawings have appeared in The New Yorker and on commercial Web sites, applied his contemporary style of illustrating and lettering to the chalkboard menu boards that hang behind the counter. His stylish menus add to the shop’s appeal. Since the advent of Aroma Coffee Roast, success locally has created the need to expand outward and upward into a wholesale business. Aroma Coffee is currently supplied to independent espresso bars, coffee houses, and specialty catering and food businesses across the region and Aroma’s wholesale client base continues to grow steadily. Aroma Coffee is roasted on premises, in a 12 kilo roaster, as small batches in a controlled environment to ensure the highest level of freshness and quality. The power outages and business interruption caused by Super Storm Sandy stalled Aroma’s growth and operating plans at a critical juncture and assistance was needed not just to continue their growth, but to ensure the survival of the business. The Westchester SBDC helped the staff at Aroma to develop the plans and documentation required for assistance from the HUD-funded GOSR program, which approved Aroma Coffee for a $25,000 grant, which has helped them to get back on track.