A Roaster's Journey from Human Rights Work to Colombian Coffee
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The cafe will open in a former restaurant space on the southern edge of Portland's Irvington neighbourhood. The walls will be painted warm off-white with touches of earthy red. The bar and window seating stay. None of this is the story.
The story is why Conor Carrigan, born in Ireland, with work stints in Switzerland and Latvia, years of human rights engagement in Colombia, and a law career in New York, ended up roasting coffee beans from small Colombian farms and paying above both market rate and fair trade standards for them.
According to What Now Portland, Cosmopolis Coffee is targeting a late October to mid-November opening at 2005 NE Broadway St, with hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. But the roaster has been operating for some time already. The beans are sold at Alberta Co-Op, Barbur World Foods, Kaah Market, and Cafe Eleven in Woodlawn. The cafe is the culmination, not the beginning.
What "Above Fair Trade" Actually Means
Fair trade certification sets a floor price and requires certain labour standards. It is better than commodity trading. It is not the ceiling.
Carrigan's model goes further: direct relationships with small Colombian farmers and cooperatives, transparent pricing, and payments that exceed both the fluctuating market rate and the fair trade minimum. The difference matters. Fair trade certification can still involve intermediaries, delayed payments, and farmers who never meet the roaster buying their crop. Direct trade, when done properly, means the roaster knows the farmer's name, visits the land, and commits to purchasing across multiple seasons.
Carrigan's connection to Colombian coffee is not abstract. His great-uncle was a coffee farmer in the Tolima region who practiced polyculture farming, growing multiple crops together to diversify income and protect the soil. This is not a marketing angle retrofitted to a business plan. It is the reason the sourcing model exists.
The Craft Rigour Behind the Counter
Opening a retail cafe for the first time is a different discipline from roasting and wholesale. Carrigan is working with Mike Nelson, founder of Guilder and Junior's, to train staff, including himself. Nelson's cafes are known for precision and hospitality. The mentorship signals that Cosmopolis is not treating the cafe as a side project.
The menu will include coffee, tea, chai, matcha, and a rotating batch brew, alongside pastries: muffins, scones, and possibly quiche. The design keeps the existing layout from the former Saint Simon space, refreshed with Cosmopolis's signature earthy red accents.
The Farmer's Name on the Bag
Sofia's specialty coffee scene has matured rapidly over the past five years. Roasters like Blue Bag Specialty Coffee have begun working directly with verified farms and sourcing beans at peak ripeness. But the model Carrigan is bringing to Irvington represents a further step: sourcing rooted not in certification systems alone, but in personal relationships forged over years of engagement with farming communities.
For expats and visitors in Sofia exploring the city's craft coffee culture, this distinction matters.
Fair trade labels are a starting point, not a guarantee. The question worth asking at any specialty roaster is not "Is this certified?" but "Do you know the farmer's name?"
The answer reveals whether the price on the bag reflects a transaction or a relationship.
The Cafe as Culmination
Carrigan named the shop after the concept of a cosmopolis: a city built from many cultures and peoples. The name traces his own path across continents and careers. It also describes what a good cafe can be: a place where different people arrive, share a counter, and leave having encountered something made with care.
The beans were already in the shops. The relationships with Colombian farmers were already in place. The cafe is simply where the story becomes visible to people who walk in off the street.
Whether this model scales, whether other roasters follow, whether Sofia's emerging specialty scene adopts similar practices: these are open questions. What is not open is the evidence that paying above fair trade, knowing the farmer, and committing to long-term relationships produces coffee that tastes different. Not because of marketing, but because of care.
The cafe opens in late October or mid-November. The beans are already available. The story has been unfolding for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does "above fair trade" mean in coffee sourcing?
A: It means paying farmers more than the fair trade minimum price and often more than the fluctuating market rate. Cosmopolis Coffee works directly with small Colombian farmers and cooperatives, establishing long-term relationships rather than relying solely on certification systems.
Q: Where can I buy Cosmopolis Coffee beans before the cafe opens?
A: The beans are currently sold at Alberta Co-Op, Barbur World Foods, Kaah Market, and Cafe Eleven in Woodlawn, all in Portland. The cafe at 2005 NE Broadway St is expected to open between late October and mid-November 2026.
Q: How is direct trade different from fair trade certification?
A: Fair trade certification sets minimum prices and labour standards but can still involve intermediaries. Direct trade means the roaster knows the farmer personally, visits the farm, and commits to purchasing across multiple seasons, creating transparency and accountability that certification alone does not guarantee.
The Artisan
Frequently asked questions
What does "above fair trade" mean in coffee sourcing?
It means paying farmers more than the fair trade minimum price and often more than the fluctuating market rate. Cosmopolis Coffee works directly with small Colombian farmers and cooperatives, establishing long-term relationships rather than relying solely on certification systems.
Where can I buy Cosmopolis Coffee beans before the cafe opens?
The beans are currently sold at Alberta Co-Op, Barbur World Foods, Kaah Market, and Cafe Eleven in Woodlawn, all in Portland. The cafe at 2005 NE Broadway St is expected to open between late October and mid-November 2026.
How is direct trade different from fair trade certification?
Fair trade certification sets minimum prices and labour standards but can still involve intermediaries. Direct trade means the roaster knows the farmer personally, visits the farm, and commits to purchasing across multiple seasons, creating transparency and accountability that certification alone does not guarantee.