Rogers is a craft coffee paradise, thanks to the ingenuity of entrepreneurs like Amber Deitrich. After serving roles in operations and logistics for more than 15 years, Deitrich moved from Texas to Northwest Arkansas with her husband, who works at J.B. Hunt. in Rogers. There, she was inspired by the growing entrepreneurial community to start her own business: Confident Coffee Roasters.

While Deitrich—who honed her coffee-slinging skills at the Academy of Coffee Excellence and Idaho’s Diedrich Roasters—wanted to hold off on opening a brick-and-mortar for a few more years, the pandemic changed her plans. The offices, co-working spaces and cafes she was selling beans to through her brand no longer needed her services due to COVID-mandated shutdowns. So instead, she opened her own cafe in Rogers in October 2020.

What Makes Confident Coffee Roasters Special? 

In the airy, sunshine-filled space, Deitrich sells vanilla- and ginger-infused lattes, smooth cappuccinos, and other classic and specialty drinks made with coffee beans sourced from direct-trade relationships with farmers and respected importing companies.

“I come from a family of farmers, so I am familiar with that life and industry, and I value what they bring to society,” she says.

All of the beans are roasted on machines from Diedrich, an American manufacturer that is committed to creating environmentally friendly systems to reduce energy and emissions. “I have personally toured the facility, roasted with their team and maintained close relationships with them since the beginning,” Deitrich says. 

“When it comes to coffee, I take great pride in presenting each coffee, each year in the best possible light to our customers.”

The quality control process includes creating individual roasting profiles for every coffee and refining that profile year after year and season to season to account for variables both at the farm level and within Confident’s roastery. Deitrich is meticulous about dedicating numerous cuppings to every variety and testing how different brewing methods impact their flavor and quality. That could entail drinking a coffee for days to weeks to see how it changes over time.

“I specialize in single-origin coffees, so I am always excited about coffees that are multi-dimensional in their flavor profiles,” says Deitrich. “I love coffees from Rwanda and Sumatra. I like when there are both sweet and savory aspects at play.” 

Deitrich drinks a pour over every morning (often with cream, which she says enhances the flavor of medium roasts). 

“My morning coffee is my sacred time,” she says. “I treasure it before the craziness and unpredictability begins each day. There is no doubt I’m in the right industry!”

Rogers’ Craft Coffee Boom

While Deitrich wasn’t sure what the next step in career was when she arrived in Rogers, she was impressed by Northwest Arkansas’ ever-evolving business community and its appeal to locals and visitors. “I couldn’t help but notice how quickly the area was developing and how much opportunity was available in so many different fields,” she says. “I knew for a long time that I wanted to start my own company, and this seemed like the right place at the exact right time.”

Deitrich’s intuitions were confirmed when she received so much support from locals.

“The City of Rogers is the easiest city in the region to create and build a business in,” she says. “There was never any ‘red tape.’” Every person I have worked with has been helpful and kind, and I believe the city takes a lot of pride in small business success.”

Learn more about how business’ such as Confident Coffee are shaping Rogers’ growing coffee culture by watching YouTube’s “Coffee: The Universal Language,” which will air an episode featuring Confident Coffee and Onyx Coffee Lab on April 21.

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