Sarah and Shawn Pritchett chose the name Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters as a paean to their life’s philosophy, which, according to Sarah, begins with the idea that not everyone is always polished at the beginning but they have the potential to achieve greatness in life, love, craft and community.

“Our philosophy is to apply our best to everything we do in a way that encourages community and provides people the opportunity to enjoy high-quality coffee,” says Sarah.

Prior to opening the new store, the Pritchetts roasted coffee beans under the California Homemade Food Act and sold them at the Newbury Park Certified Farmers’ Market. The pair, which has been roasting beans for five years, sources direct trade beans through green coffee importers and farmers who share their passion for specialty grade coffee and for making sure the individual farmers are properly compensated.

Recently, two of Ragamuffin’s roasted coffees—Ethiopia Konga and Guatemala Acatenango Gesha—scored in the 90s (on the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s 100-point cupping scale) by Coffee Review, which bills itself as the world’s leading coffee guide.

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters serves hand-poured and small-batch brewed coffee, espresso and whole and ground roasted beans. They also offer housemade wheat-free pastries created by Chef Shelby LaMont and teas from The Healing Tree in Thousand Oaks.

“We’re starting with a limited menu to be successful and sustainable and offer the best products we can,” says Sarah. “We love coffee and we love people, so we want anybody who’s interested in coffee at every level. …When people visit our store, we hope their day is better for the moments we share in it.”

—Wendy Dager

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters
111 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park
805-375-9000; RagamuffinRoasters.com