There’s always something beautifully bold brewing at Mocha Monkey, but lately, you’ll notice a new depth in every cup of joe. As you take a seat at your favorite coffee shop, you might notice a new face and the unmistakable aroma of coffee being roasted just steps away. That would be Chief Roaster, John Pennucci, and their vintage San Franciscan roaster, a piece of MN coffee history still delivering exceptional roasts today, that transforms those already magical beans – the ones that have the power to turn any day around – into something even more extraordinary.
“Roasting coffee has always been something that interested me, but it started to become a reality when we were opening our Carver location,” Jon Schmidt, owner of Mocha Monkey, shares. “We began thinking about ways to get more involved in different areas of the coffee shop, and roasting was an obvious one. All we needed to do was find someone who knew how to roast — that’s where John came in.”
Pennucci first caught glimpses of coffee roasting (and, he says, his wife) when he worked as a barista. “I loved watching the process and chatting with the roasters whenever time allowed. The whole thing was mesmerizing – artful chaos – and I quickly fell in love with it.” In 2004, he was officially apprenticing in commercial coffee roasting, and in 2024, through “several layers of pure happenstance,” Pennucci learned that Schmidt was considering roasting Mocha Monkey’s coffee in-house. After a couple of conversations, they knew this partnership would be a perfect blend.
If passion could be measured, Pennucci’s would be genuine and meticulous, reflected in the batches he carefully roasts. “Every great cup of coffee begins its life as a bright red cherry on a coffee farm. Skilled hands pick the ripest fruit, and the beans inside – actually the seed or pit of the coffee cherry – are carefully separated, washed, and dried.” He goes on to share that it’s when the beans reach the roastery that the real magic begins. “Heat coaxes out deep aromas, rich colors, and the unique flavors hidden in each bean. After cooling and resting, the coffee is ground, brewed, and served as an experience in a cup.”
Many factors, like roast time and temperature, influence flavor. But Pennucci explains that origin is the natural starting point, as different regions bring out unique qualities in both flavor and in how they respond to various roast profiles, from light to dark. From there, he says, it becomes a careful balance of temperature, time, and airflow. “My goal is to roast the coffee to a target temperature within a specific time frame. During the roast, I’m not just watching numbers, I’m listening for the coffee’s audible ‘crack’ and noting the shift in aroma as the natural sugars caramelize.” He says that this is where the artistry comes in, because no two days are the same. Temperature, humidity, and even barometric pressure can subtly alter the roast, requiring real-time adjustments to keep the coffee tasting its best.
And tasting its best? Does it ever. “For roasts we thought could be improved, like our light roast and our cold press, we asked John to develop different flavor profiles." Schmidt believes that their Morning Mischief Light Roast was the biggest improvement over the light roast they previously served. “I also think our current espresso blend is fantastic. It highlights the coffee’s flavor better than what we used to have. The Sumatra Dark Roast is the only single-origin coffee we currently offer, and it’s a very bold, flavor-forward roast.”
Mocha Monkey is always looking for ways to help coffee shops grow, offering wholesale pricing and consulting to churches, hospitals, and any other organization that serves coffee frequently. That’s why roasting in-house is such a natural and opportunity-rich step in the right direction. “It gives us complete control over how our coffee tastes, looks, and smells, and it allows us to be creative with new flavor profiles,” Schmidt explains. “It also gives us flexibility in a constantly changing market. If we weren’t roasting our own beans, we’d be at the mercy of another roaster, and they might not make the same decisions we would.”
And when it comes to what these coffee connoisseurs sip each morning, or afternoon, depending on the day, Pennucci reaches for a smooth cold press, and most days Schmidt goes for their house blend, no cream, and no sugar. “If I’m feeling special, I’ll make a small mocha with one pump of chocolate and three shots of espresso.” Whatever’s in the cup at Mocha Monkey– special or everyday–you can be sure it’s crafted with care and meant to be enjoyed, sip by sip.