Firecreek Unveils New Artisan Roastery

The Roastery, at 16th Street and McDowell Road, will help develop and grow the local wholesale coffee industry (submitted photo).

The Roastery at 1618 E. McDowell Road is now officially open. Situated mere minutes from his first coffee venture, founder and coffee expert Mike Funk welcomes Phoenix to this new establishment. Funk’s initial concept, Firecreek Coffee Company, has been a staple since the mid-1990s, supplying wholesale coffee across the state to various businesses, including grocery stores and cafes. The Phoenix Roastery not only complements the Flagstaff location but also functions as a café and training center.

“We are excited to be open and ready to help support the coffee industry in Phoenix,” said Funk. “The Roastery is a state-of-the-art facility that was built to help develop and grow the local wholesale coffee industry. We are now roasting for customers and have the equipment and experience to offer first-class training based on my nearly 30 years of helping people get started in the coffee industry.”

Beyond its roasting capabilities, Funk emphasizes the importance of reducing the company’s carbon footprint. The Phoenix Roastery aligns with Funk’s dedication to the local food movement. Accredited by the Specialty Coffee Association, it offers a dedicated training facility for baristas. The café menu is currently being expanded to include a variety of items.

Funk’s journey began in the mid-1990s when he moved to Phoenix to open Café Tech at 5th Street and McDowell Road. By the early 2000s, he was pioneering third wave coffee, emphasizing superior, high-quality beans evaluated much like grapes in the wine industry.

In 2008, Funk launched Firecreek Coffee Company with its flagship café located in downtown Flagstaff. He soon started supplying specialty coffee to AJ’s Fine Foods and Whole Foods, both of which still carry his products. Today, Firecreek Coffee Company boasts four locations across the state, including a café in the Arcadia neighborhood, which opened in 2021.