A coffee roasting business in Maricopa has received a city home occupation permit, but its owner is still waiting to resolve county-level requirements before fully opening, according to InMaricopa.
Scot Pears moved with his family and business from Oregon to the Villages at Rancho El Dorado, hoping for a better fit for both their homeschooling needs and their family life. The business, called the Roasting Shack, roasts coffee beans in a detached building on their property.
According to InMaricopa, the city approved the business permit in June, but Pinal County rules have created a new obstacle. Pears said the company does not fit FDA criteria for its current setup, and county private property business restrictions prohibit shipping across state lines.
Pinal County’s Cottage Food Program requires home businesses to prepare food inside the home kitchen, something Pears said is not possible because the roaster is too large. He also said about 70% of the business’s customers order coffee for out-of-state shipping, and the business has been stalled while he waits to hear whether any exemptions might apply.
Pears said he is trying to follow the rules, and he hopes to move forward soon. He first got into coffee roasting during a deployment in Iraq, later turning it into a business after his wife had a stroke.
