After 16 years of nomadic but highly enjoyable work in the coffee industry, Gabe Boscana and his partner Mae have decided to start their own small-batch roastery in West Chester, writes Nick Brown for Daily Coffee News.

The Boscanas started Máquina Coffee Roasters in their garage. Gabe decided to pull inspiration from his days working at Gimme! Coffee in Ithaca, N.Y., where grew up after moving from Puerto Rico as an eight-year-old. There, he learned his roasting skills on a Sivetz machine.

“I was fascinated right away with the connection of something this mechanical, yet also how it’s all connected to people,” said Boscana, who then moved to San Francisco to work at Ritual Coffee Roasters, Ecco Caffe, and Sightglass Coffee.

The decision to move back east, though, was advantageous for his young company.

“I don’t owe anybody any money. I don’t have any investors to answer to,” Gabe said.

The Boscanas chose the Greater Philadelphia area as the perfect place, as it has both a clear demand and plenty of room for specialty coffee. As a longtime green buyer, he also decided on coffee beans sourced from Coffee Shrub and Red Fox Coffee Merchants.

“I trust them, and they’re my friends socially,” Boscana said. “And I know they know good coffee.”

Read more about Máquina Coffee Roasters from Daily Coffee News here.