Tempe · United States

Cartel Roasting Co.

Cartel Roasting Co. roasts in Tempe, Arizona.

Since 2008 · Jason Silberschlag, Amy Silberschlag

Overview

Cartel was founded in 2008 by Tucson native Jason Silberschlag and his wife Amy in Tempe, Arizona, after a chance encounter with Stumptown founder Duane Sorenson on a flight to Guatemala convinced Silberschlag to roast as well as serve coffee. The company opened during a moment when most observers thought specialty coffee couldn't survive the 120°F Sonoran summer; today it operates 13 cafes across Arizona and California (including the much-loved Phoenix Sky Harbor Terminal 4 location) and rebranded from Cartel Coffee Lab to Cartel Roasting Co. in December 2021.

Known for

Arizona's first third-wave specialty roaster
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport flagship (Terminal 4)
In-house design and fabrication of cafe furniture
Black Market Espresso (BME) seasonal single-origin
Sonoran Sun Standard and Night Vision Nitro RTD cold brews

Why it matters

Cartel pioneered specialty coffee in the Phoenix metro when Arizona had essentially no third-wave scene, and built a scaled retail brand without abandoning the in-house design, custom-built cafe aesthetic that defined the early Stumptown-influenced era of American specialty.

Production

roaster machine: 25-pound San Franciscan at original Tempe location; new 12,000 sq ft production facility under buildout (up from 3,000 sq ft)
filter equipment: Hario V60, Chemex, Aeropress; Mahlkönig Kenia for pour-over grinds; Mazzer Robur for espresso
roastery location: Tempe, Arizona
espresso equipment: La Marzocco Strada (3-group at Tempe flagship)

Café

Original Tempe location at corner of University and Ash; 13 cafes across Arizona, California (incl. Palm Springs Arrive Hotel) and previously Texas (Austin)

Recognitions

Phoenix Sky Harbor official airport coffee partner
Arrive Hotels exclusive cafe partner (Palm Springs, Phoenix, Austin)

Sources

Keep exploring