Lucas Roasting Company, LLC

Lucas Roasting Company is an award-winning family operation in Wolfeboro, run by owners Troy (Lucas) and Jennika. The retail area in front is small, the roasting operation behind it is larger, and the cafe portion of the visit happens at one of four stools at a counter. That is the entire seating plan. The room runs warm because of the community regulars moving in and out, not because of the furniture, and the owner conversations are the product as much as the espresso is. Espresso is made on-site. Order a latte or a cappuccino if you want to drink in. A shot of espresso beans for your home machine is the move if you want to take the program with you when you leave. Apple cider donuts and gluten-free snacks are the case items to grab, and the gluten-free snack selection is broader than most operations of this size bother with. Bagged whole beans ship out from here, which is how a lot of out-of-state customers stay in the rotation between visits to New Hampshire. This is not a sit-and-work cafe. Four stools, no real mention of wifi, and a parking situation that runs tight on a busy day. Travelers detouring to Wolfeboro and home brewers buying beans to ship are the two customers the shop is built around. Talk to Troy or Jennika when you are at the counter. That conversation is what the visit was for, and the award-winning roast is the bag you take home as proof you were there. The apple cider donuts run out by mid-afternoon on the days when the tourist traffic comes through. Get there earlier than that if you want one with your cappuccino, and consider taking a bag of the espresso beans to ship to someone in the family who has not been to Wolfeboro yet.