PHOTO PROVIDED The counter at SweetSpire, 124 E. Fourth St., which recently opened.

Equitable consumption and coffee expertise are at the heart of Sweetspire Coffee and Bakery, 124 E. Fourth St.

Co-founders Caroline Payne, Nate Steele and Brittney Gross aim to serve quality coffee and create community within the cafe’s walls. They have combined their knowledge of coffee, baking and business to open a spot that strives to be the center of coffee culture in Williamsport.

From roasting coffee beans and baking sweet treats to creating syrups and extracts, everything is done in-house.

The menu highlights specialty coffee drinks, like pour-overs and cortados, made in a traditional style, Steele said. They also offer sweet, frozen beverages and energy refreshers with green coffee extract.

“Whatever you’re looking for, we probably have something that will satisfy your palate,” he said.

Gross’s coffee knowledge transcends from farm to cup. She is a Q Grader, a certified coffee roaster, who placed second in the U.S. Cup Taster’s Championship this year.

She worked with coffee farmers in the Dominican Republic through Lycoming College’s Warrior Coffee Project for a year.

Payne, a Lycoming College professor, started the Warrior Coffee Project by establishing a connection between the school and coffee farmers, according to the college’s website. The program offers an interdisciplinary approach to support a coffee-growing community in the Dominican Republic.

The pair’s in-depth understanding of the coffee industry empowers them to make business decisions that support farmers.

“It really helps in terms of making sure that when we’re making buying decisions, we’re making ethical ones,” Payne said. “We know what to look for and what questions to ask because we’ve done it through the Warrior Coffee Project.”

Coffee is such a commonplace beverage that many consumers rarely think about how it arrived on the grocery store shelves or in their mug at a restaurant.

“Like so many things, we don’t think about where it comes from or all of the people that are impacted by it,” she said.

Through the program, they have seen the intricate process of growing, exporting and roasting coffee.

“I think a lot of times that coffee kind of just shows up in your cup and you don’t know that there’s an entire months-long supply chain to get it there,” Gross said.

With all of the knowledge and experience she has, she wants to share it with others. She hopes that they can be the coffee experts in town who can educate people about coffee and its processes, she said.

Steele’s creativity and honed skills shine in the kitchen where he prepares all of Sweetspire’s baked goods. He plans to have seasonal items available plus staples like cookies, cake pops and French desserts. He will also be showcasing savory creations like pigs in a blanket with Country Store smoked sausage wrapped in a croissant.

“If we have the time and resources, we will be expanding into a proper bakery where we have loaves of bread that we will be making in-house too,” he said.

Affordability is another key component at the forefront of their mission.

“Everyone deserves good food that’s made of good quality ingredients and shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg,” Steele said.

They want to be accessible to everyone, Payne said.

“People want to shop locally and support local businesses,” she said. “But they have to be able to afford it.”

The three want the cafe to be a vibrant place where community members can grow and socialize.

“I want us to be a place where community happens,” Steele said.

The founders work to have frequent events that bring people together under their roof.

There is a monthly series called “Lattes and Lectures.” Community members get to learn from experts on a variety of fields in the cafe. The topics change each month.

They recently hosted multiple candidates running for the Williamsport Area School District school board. Voters were able to discuss issues and help them make educated choices at the polls.

They also host events to bring together locals that share common interests and offer opportunities for creative expression. They are partnering with Centered Earth at 6 p.m, Nov. 11 for pottery painting. There will be an evening for fiber arts enthusiasts at 6 pm, Nov. 12.

Last month they hosted a houseplant cutting exchange and collaborated with Factory Works for a mug making class.

For more information and calendar of events, please visit sweetspirecoffee.com.