Grand County Roastery is independently owned and operated and is not affiliated with Rocky Mountain Roastery. 

The story began in 1992 when Michelle Ismert and Marie Koepke were ordering Peet's Coffee from California. After reading The Perfect Cup, Michelle remarked that they could roast coffee themselves and mentioned that a friend in Oregon was interested in selling his coffee roaster. 

Soon afterward, they traveled to Oregon, where Michelle's friend taught them the fundamentals of coffee roasting and introduced them to one of the finest green coffee bean brokers in California. While in California, they visited several small roasting operations to gather ideas and learn how to establish their own shop. Armed with knowledge, inspiration, and a Probat roaster, they returned to Colorado ready to begin their venture. 

At the time, there were only four Starbucks locations in Denver. In Grand County, Allegro was the dominant coffee supplier, and competing with an established company presented a significant challenge. 

Their philosophy was simple: if the business did not succeed, they would still have fresh-roasted coffee made exactly the way they liked it. 

In March 1993, they opened their doors with the tagline: "Achieve a Higher State of Bean." 

Over the years, the shop changed owners. 

In 2015, the Thomson family took over the Fraser shop, maintaining a simple mission: to serve exceptional coffee and stay deeply rooted in the community. The family expanded the business with a second location in Granby in 2019. 

In April 2025, they rebranded and proudly became Grand County Roastery. 

Parker Thomson first landed in the Fraser Valley back in 1990, drawn in by the small-town ski vibe and a job teaching skiing at Winter Park Resort. Today, the roastery is proudly managed day-to-day by his son Parks and Parks’ wife, Libby, who keep things running smoothly across the shops. 

Parks grew up on skis, competing in the Junior Olympics for ski racing before moving on to professional big air and halfpipe competitions. These days, you’ll find him just as involved off the mountain—giving back through service on multiple community boards and volunteer positions, co-founding the Winter Park Film Festival, supporting and collaborating with a range of local businesses, and helping teach youth ski fundamentals and safety. 

Libby has been part of the coffee world since 2009 and worked her way through the shop long before becoming an owner. She’s played a huge role in growing Grand County Roastery from a small-town café into the well-oiled machine and local landmark it is today. When she’s not in the shop, Libby is usually logging miles as a long-distance runner and taking part in local summer races. 

And of course, no story of Grand County Roastery would be complete without Doug Horton, our master roaster. Doug has been part of the journey since the very beginning. As the former owner of the bike shop next door to our Fraser flagship location, he’s long been a familiar face in the neighborhood and a true pillar of our community.