About

🏔️ Our Story

We’ve been fortunate to live in some breathtaking places across this country—but it was the Pacific Northwest that first introduced us to high-quality craft coffee. That’s also where we raised our two kids and discovered a deep love for the outdoors: hiking, camping, fishing, snowshoeing, and waking up to mountain sunrises over Puget Sound.

In 2012, we moved to Concord, North Carolina, and before long, started roasting coffee at home. That simple hobby grew into something much more. In 2020, Cairn Coffee Roasters was born—our way of sharing coffee inspired by the landscapes we’ve come to love.

🌲 Coffee for People Who Love the Outdoors

We select coffees with flavor notes that remind us of the open trail: a little wild, a little unexpected, and deeply grounded. Whether it’s the early-morning clarity of a light roast or the familiar warmth of a darker brew, we roast with the outdoors in mind.

There’s so much to explore here in North Carolina—from the Great Smoky Mountains to the state parks and urban trails of the Piedmont. Some of the best trout fishing in the country happens to be just up the road, and Blaine’s doing his best to get out there when he can.

🌎 Thoughtful Sourcing & Shared Impact

We work with importers who are fair and responsible, and we’re proudly certified through Fair Trade USA. That means when you purchase one of our roasts, the farms and communities that grew it benefit, too.

And because we believe in giving back to the landscapes that inspire us, a portion of every sale goes toward supporting conservation efforts. Groups we love to support include:

• Friends of the Smokies

• Mountains-to-Sea Trail

• Carolina Thread Trail

• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

⛰️ What’s a Cairn?

A cairn is a stack of stones placed along a trail, marking the way forward. You’ll find them all over the world—sometimes as practical guides, sometimes simply for the photo. We’ve spotted them everywhere from the windswept Northwest to the rolling hills of the Carolinas.

The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic carn. To us, it symbolizes something more: a shared landmark, a marker for where we’ve been—and where we’re going next.

We chose the name Cairn Coffee Roasters because it reflects both our love of the outdoors and our hope to create something memorable here in Concord, NC: a gathering point for great coffee and good company.

> PS: While cairns are meaningful, we don’t encourage building them randomly along wild places. Help preserve natural spaces and practice Leave No Trace.