We’re excited to highlight Rolling Stock Coffee Co. this month on the blog. Founder Max Waters shares more about the world of specialty coffee, family ties to the railways, and the Roundhouse Farmers’ Market.
Meet Max Waters
The Roundhouse Farmers’ Market brings fresh, local food to the historic setting of Roundhouse Park on Sundays from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. Of the many local vendors, Max Waters, founder of Rolling Stock Coffee Co., can be found at the Market providing fresh, locally roasted coffee and good conversation. With blends like “Dining Car Delight” and “Hopper Car Classic”, Rolling Stock Coffee has something for everyone to get their day started on the right track.
Hi Max! We’re excited to be chatting with you about Rolling Stock Coffee. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
In a nutshell – I’m a practical coffee snob who enjoys helping people find something perfect for them. I can be a purist, but I don’t expect that from people around me. I think that people should enjoy coffee the way they enjoy it. No judgement if you add cream, or if it’s decaf. It’s just nice to share a hot drink.
During the first pandemic (SARS) I was in school for a career connected to the film industry and I was employed at a Starbucks. After I was done with school, I went to work at the Espresso Post in Collingwood, run by two lovely people who had lived in Seattle. They opened up the world of specialty coffee for me, and other industry veterans, as well, with their passion for coffee.
When did you start your coffee business?
In 2013, I left the company where I was managing a group of cafes. I started selling coffee and working as a consultant to help open new coffee bars, in addition to branching out into other food businesses. I’ve been selling coffee to my friends and family ever since – I’ve got to keep myself stocked with lots of coffee, so it’s been a natural fit.
How did you decide on the Rolling Stock Coffee name?
For a long time, I’ve operated under my own name. My partner is a graphic designer who has a flair for branding – he’s long suggested moving to a business name. He’s also the original train lover in our family. We worked through a pretty long list of camp-related names before we started talking about train names – and then realized that a steamy-industrial set of names would be a wonderful way to present a line of coffees (we had also been reading a lot of Freight Train by Donald Crews [at the time]).
Do you have a personal connection to the railways?
Aside from enjoying train travel (my favourite way to see Canada and Europe), my family is from Northern Ontario and one of my favourite uncles worked on the ACR (Algoma Central Railway). My honeymoon was a train trip on the Agawa Tour Train when they were offering the caboose as a camper, parked on the third rail. All the perks of a scenic train trip, with your own late night fire in a quiet valley with trains rolling by. Maybe not everyone’s idea of romance – but we certainly loved it.
Rolling Stock Coffee and the Toronto Railway Museum have a great offer for coffee and train lovers alike! Can you share how folks can get a 2 for 1 museum admission pass?
Sure! It’s very easy – just buy a bag of coffee to enjoy at home. No fancy tricks, we just want to caffeinate people and invite them to learn more about Toronto’s railway history.
This is the inaugural year for the Roundhouse Farmers’ Market (which launched in August 2021). What do you hope the markets for the rest of the year bring?
The market has been a wonderful place to be, selling coffee. When I branched into working with restaurants, I got involved in the local food movement – and I was on the front line participating in Soupstock and Foodstock (remember Stop the Mega Quarry?). Every good farmer’s market has that grassroots feeling.
Directly supporting small scale farming has never stopped being important. Every week is a chance to connect with food warriors who protect our ability to eat nutritious, locally grown food – the freshest, tastiest stuff around. [Plus, I’m] excited about the bounty of the high summer [to return to the market later this year].
Rolling Stock Coffee has become a mainstay at the Roundhouse Farmers’ Market. What’s the best part of the market for you?
The best part of the market for me is the community and friends you make by being there every week – regulars and other vendors. It’s like being back in a café where your regulars really become the meat of your day. It’s a joy to serve like minded people and build those relationships. Oh, and seeing my kids crawl around on the rolling stock in Roundhouse Park – we’ve got a three-year-old who loves trains as much as we do. When we’re outside in the park, it’s fun to be surrounded by train cars, and when we’re inside, it’s enchanting to be in the historic Roundhouse. It’s worth the drive downtown.
Roundhouse Farmers’ Market
The Roundhouse Farmers’ Market brings fresh, local food to the historic setting of Roundhouse Park every Sunday from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. Between November-April the market is located inside Locomotive Hall in Bay 10 at the Steam Whistle Brewery (proof of vaccination required). Consequently, from May to October, the market is outdoors.
Thank you so much Max! You can find Rolling Stock Coffee on market Sundays in Bay 10 of the Roundhouse and online here.
