Redeye Roasters Opens Dedicated Coffee And Espresso Lounge

Coffee aficionados in Hingham have a new place to indulge their passion after Redeye Roasters expanded on their successful season at the Farmer’s Market by moving into a permanent retail space on Route 3A.

Locally based and founded by Hingham resident Bob Weeks, Redeye Roasters has been selling its fresh roasted coffee online since Weeks turned his hobby into a business in 2006. The company has built up a loyal following of residents who combine their trips to the Hingham Farmer’s Market with the chance to buy a cup of coffee from the Redeye Roasters trailer.

The demand for his coffee encouraged Weeks into deciding to move his $16,000 roaster out of his home and into a more appropriate venue. After nearly “pulling the trigger on other locations that just weren’t right”, Weeks, who cheerfully admits to being a “coffee geek” found an empty building at the Harbor that ticked all the boxes.

“I wanted a café where people can come in and get the theater of the roasting,” said Weeks. “They can see that they’re getting fresh roasted coffee and it raises the bar on coffee drinking and coffee culture.” 

Redeye Roasters was formed out of the Hingham business owner’s passion for coffee and the inspiration for the name came from the long hours that he spent in roasting beans, originally intended as gifts for friends and neighbors. Once the business started to take off, the demand for his product led him to reinvent himself as a dedicated roaster and Weeks’ coffee can now be found in local retail establishments such as and the in Hingham and non-corporate cafes.

The original plan was to open the café in the summer but it took time for the permits to be issued and for the space to be ready to roast. Weeks’ equipment uses natural gas but as the nearest gas main was on the other side of 3A, he was forced to convert to propane for “financial reasons.” The switch from natural gas doesn’t affect the flavor of the coffee but the roasting process is different as propane is a hotter gas, an element of coffee preparation that highlights Weeks’ dedication to the product.

Increasing coffee education is an element that Weeks is hoping to bring to Hingham with plans to have tastings – known as a “cupping” in coffee circles – of different roasts and blends at the café on a regular basis.

“It’s all about the coffee,” Weeks says. “The way I was taught is to look at coffee like people look at wine. It’s interesting how many different flavors, attributes and descriptors are in coffee. Coffee is actually more complex than wine and people don’t really know that. I have spent a lot of time trying to discover the little gems out there.”

Weeks is keen to stress that his café will be slightly different to the ones already in Hingham. For a start, he is reluctant to install Wi-Fi to allow Internet access, as he wants people to “read books or the paper and maybe even talk to the guy on the next table.”

“I wanted this to be about community, to encourage people to engage in social interaction and I think the Internet takes that away,” Weeks said. “We offer water views, not Wi-Fi.”

One national coffee brand claims that America runs on its product, but Weeks will be happy if Hingham embraces his move from the trailer at the Farmer’s Market and into a place where people can take their time to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” said Weeks. “But if this is successful, I’ll be here a long time.”

Redeye Roasters can be found at Hingham Harbor on Summer Street, opposite Star’s. Weekday opening hours are from 6.am - 5 p.m. with reduced hours on weekends.