Just Steve

The second half of college was when I really started working at coffee shops. I lived off campus and I finally had a car which meant I could explore more than the few coffee shops within walking distance of the dorms. JS Bean Factory was definitely a favorite. Not only did I like their coffee, but JS Bean Factory is a roastery and I love the smell of roasting coffee beans.

When I graduated and started work, I was still living in St Paul and JS Bean Factory was a great covid-friendly place to work. With an abundance of outdoor space and good coffee, what was not to like? Since moving to Minneapolis, the "Bean Factory" as the cool kids call it, has been a bit out of the way. But recently, I was on a mission to pick up a birthday cake in St Paul for a surprise party and took it as an opportunity to stop by.

Haters gonna... change their minds?

When I told Osmar I wanted to meet at JS Bean Factory to work and to hand off the secret birthday cake, his response was "I’m trying to keep an open mind but I’m a lil bit biased bc I dislike this coffeeshop and hate their coffee." Yes, readers, Osmar was a hater. He said it himself.

As a big fan of JS Bean Factory, I was shocked, hurt, and disturbed by my fellow Remote Roaster's comments. But, as professional big time critics, I decided to let him experience the coffee shop again without my bias interfering in order to preserve our journalistic integrity. Biting my tongue, I replied to Osmar:

Osmar made it to the Bean Factory before I did, ordered himself a dirty chai, and my phone buzzed...

Osmar was officially converted.

The Deets

Okay, so you know now about the coffee. How about the work environment?

The indoor space at JS Bean Factory is small but lively. It's often fairly full with a mix of students, people working, and some people just drinking coffee and chatting. The roasting machines are in full view from the tables, and the walls are lined with quirky signs and art. Make your way outside, and you'll find a whole lot more tables, trees, and sometimes a group of men smoking cigars. It's definitely not a sterile corporate cafe. It's a neighborhood coffee shop, and it feels that way in the best way possible.

JS Bean Factory also has a decent amount of outlets - although not at every table, and while it's not my favorite place to take a meeting, I have done it before.

Just Shortbread

Okay, they don't just have shortbread, but it might be my favorite thing they have. JS Bean Factory has a mix of good pastries but unfortunately, they don't seem to have more substantial meals. What they do have, is one of the best shortbread cookies I've had, and if I had to, I could eat enough of them for it to equate to a full meal.

So, if you were a skeptic/hater like Osmar, maybe it's time to reconsider. We're giving JS Bean Factory a 3.5. If I were rating it as just a coffee shop, it may rank higher, but because they don't have tons of outlets and it can often be crowded inside, it loses a few points on the remote work side. That said, I'll definitely be going back and I love buying their beans to brew at home.

Pro tip: You'll often catch Juliet's friend and band-mate Ryan playing music outside on Fridays from 12-2!