A quick chat with Lynne Begier of Nantucket’s newest hot spot, Roastd General Store.
N MAGAZINE: Tell us a little about your connection to Nantucket?
BEGIER: I first came to Nantucket about 30 years ago and it was love at first sight of the Main Street cobblestones. I spent my first summer here working at 21 Federal in 1995 and always dreamed of having a shop on the island. I moved here full time in 2016 after living in Boston for about 20 years. I feel so at home here.
N MAGAZINE: What was the driving motivation behind opening Roastd General Store?
BEGIER: I taught yoga for 15 years prior to opening Roastd General Store and several years ago I started to delve deeper into Ayurveda and my own wellness. My health was suffering a bit from my work schedule and I needed to fine tune my daily habits to support my work load. Making my own nut milks and creating yummy tea and coffee concoctions at home was a great way to control what I had first thing in the morning. I wanted to create a place where we made our own nut milks in-house for guests to experience their amazingness paired with the spectacular coffee from Stumptown and Rishi Teas.
N MAGAZINE: Describe Roastd in three words.
BEGIER: Friendly. Inspired. Down to earth.
N MAGAZINE: There are a lot of coffee shops on the island. What do you feel sets Roastd apart?
BEGIER: So True! We don’t strive to offer everything. Our goal is to feature not only classic drinks, but seasonally and regionally-inspired drinks as well, including Ayurveda and Moon Juice. I also love having a place for people to sit where they can enjoy drinks and snacks in glassware.
N MAGAZINE: Can you talk a little about the Moon Juice dusts you offer?
BEGIER: We sell the complete line of Dusts by Moon Juice. They are power, beauty, dream, spirit, brain and sex. Each one is a adaptogenic blend for wellness. We also feature a few of the dusts in our specialty drinks. The most popular being the Sex Dust by Moon Juice Latte: 2 shots of Stumptown Hair Bender Espresso + Your Choice of Milk + Sex Dust.
N MAGAZINE: What is your go-to order at Roastd?
BEGIER: Right now I am loving our new ROASTD smoothie. It tastes like part health drink, part dessert without too much sweetness. And you can customize it with your choice of Organic Brazilian Nut Milk or Stumptown Cold Brew as the base.
N MAGAZINE: Now, the big question for all the year rounders… Will Roastd be open all year?
BEGIER: YES! We will close for some vacation/tune up time in February, but otherwise open year round.
N MAGAZINE: When you’re not busy running Roastd, what are some of your favorite island hobbies and activities?
BEGIER: I love doing yoga. Then when I want to get into a little bit of trouble I love going out for drinks and dinner. And my daily passion is walking my dogs on the Sconset Bluff Walk and in Cod Fish Park. I live in Sconset and I am obsessed with all things Sconset.
N MAGAZINE: What advice would you give to someone dreaming of opening his or her own small business?
BEGIER: Opening any business requires planning and a tremendous amount of attention to detail. Also, expect long hours! I think the best advice I would give is to take time to get your ideas together. Rushing a project never helps. I had about five years of ideas in my head for ROASTD GENERAL STORE before I signed a lease.
N MAGAZINE: If you were to create a time capsule with five items that most represent Nantucket to you, what would they be?
BEGIER: The front view of Ventuno (I love the classic federal style of this building); lobsters from Sayle’s seafood; some kind of ACK car sticker; ice cream from the Juice Bar; a Madaket sunset.
