Clay Cass has a taste for excellent, higher-quality coffee. He acquired that taste when he moved into a DeLand duplex in 2005 that was owned by a friend with experience in roasting coffee. Since then, Clay's knowledge and experience for roasting fine coffee has expanded by leaps and bounds. He has built Trilogy Coffee Roasting Co. from those humble beginnings. Now, his business is about to evolve once again.
Trilogy began as a small-scale roasting business that Clay and his wife Michelle started at the Artisan Alley Farmers' Market. The demand for the quality coffee grew. Clay and Michelle knew they had something special. The couple took a risk and opened a full-time storefront in May, 2015 inside the Davinci Design building at 117 W. Howry Avenue in DeLand. The risk paid off. Thanks to the storefront, Trilogy has built hundreds of loyal fans that appreciate hand crafted, high-quality coffee.
There are three factors, or "stories", that make Trilogy so special. These three stories are also the genesis of the business name. The first story is that Clay imports all of his raw beans directly from growers all over the world. He knows the farmers, their story and their quality.
The second story is that he roasts all of the beans himself. Part science and part art, he is an expert at perfecting the beans in this process to enhance flavor. In this process, Clay grinds the fresh coffee and hand pours the hot water over the grinds for every individual coffee order. For espresso, the same amount of care is taken to ensure utmost quality.
The final story, and completing part of the trilogy, is the customer's experience. Further enhancing this story is the atmosphere. Trilogy is not only a place for a great cup of coffee, but also a place to make friends and experience real community.
Trilogy has grown so quickly that it is out of space. Although many patrons love the cozy atmosphere of the current location, Trilogy is moving location to 123 S. Florida Ave. The move is expected to take place by late August.
According to Clay, "With a new space comes not only more of the coffee we love, but also the opportunity to create a café in the fullest sense of the term. A place devoted to the love of words and ideas, of friendship and conviviality, powered by coffee. A place where art can be exhibited, music and poetry can be performed, films can be shown and debated."
He went on to say, " We are so blessed to have the community support of Turner and Todd Swann, as well as so many other businesses like Russ Martini of Steadfast Construction, who has helped with the construction of our new facility. This is what Trilogy is all about."
So the next time you are in Downtown DeLand and need a "pick-me-up," stop by and visit Clay and Michelle. You'll likely find that the coffee isn't the only thing that is energizing. The friendly atmosphere will surely put an extra step in your day.
Video Credit from the Trilogy Kickstarter campaign. Although the Kickstarter campaign has officially ended, those that want to still be a part of the future of Trilogy can email Clay directly. "The new facility will just be scratching the surface of our growth," stated Clay. Stay tuned.