Providence is a city that undoubtedly loves coffee. Aside from the ubiquitous Dunkins and a certain Seattle-based chain, the city has a plethora of independently-owned cafes. Customers may be noticing more of these cafes touting more premium coffees that are single-origin or feature more intriguing flavors, varietals, or processes (“anaerobic natural”, “sidra”, “pink bourbon”). This is all part of a broader growing interest in “specialty coffee.” Although there is no official or legal definition, the National Coffee Association defines specialty coffee as any coffee-based beverage perceived to be brewed from premium coffee beans.
To uncover more about what makes specialty coffee different and how it is transforming Providence’s coffee scene, The Providence Eye spoke with local experts Justin Enis of Enjoy Coffee Roasters and Michael Levesque of Dissent Cafe. Enjoy is based in Olneyville, and Dissent Cafe is located in Pawtucket, just over the border from Providence. Between them, Enis and Levesque bring over three decades of collective experience to the city’s coffee scene, having mastered the craft through a span of roles from barista to menu curator to roaster to now business owner.
Levesque, founder of Dissent, explained that coffee intrinsically possesses unique flavors specific to the varietal or cultivar (type of plant subspecies) as well as where the coffee was grown. “Specialty coffee is about bringing out the bouquet of different flavors the coffee has. For instance, Ethiopian coffees lean towards being more floral.” According to Levesque, specialty coffee is set apart by the meticulous care given throughout the entire supply chain from “seed to cup.” It begins at the farm, where maintaining healthy soil and proper plant cultivation are foundational. Levesque notes that producers must harvest the coffee “cherries” at optimal ripeness before choosing the right fermentation technique to maximize their flavor potential.
This precision continues through shipping and into the roasting process. When the “green” unroasted beans finally reach the roasters, Levesque explains, “The only way to truly taste the coffee’s distinct traits and region-specific qualities is through a light roast.” Dark roasts, he explains, cause the coffees to taste nearly indistinguishable. “Luckily, there is just much more infrastructure and knowledge from farm to roaster to barista to be able to provide specialty and light roast coffees than ever before.”
“There is so much good coffee out there,” says Enis, founder of Enjoy Coffee Roasters. “But it is easy to miss if you don’t know how to approach it in terms of roasting. It’s also a risk as well.” Enis explains that some coffee businesses may not know how to market, brew, or are unsure how consumers would respond to coffees outside the norm. However, for Enis, his relentless pursuit of elevating the craft has led him to keep pushing the boundaries of coffee offerings in Providence for more than a decade. “I’ve always been kind of a science freak,” says Enis. “Coffee allowed me to dive in headfirst into that passion for being creative.”
Prior to launching Enjoy Coffee as a full-time venture in 2024, Enis built his expertise at cafes and roasteries around the region. Notably, he was tapped to lead the coffee program at Bolt Coffee. Before Bolt Coffee roasted their own beans, Enis curated their selection of coffees from across the country to brew for their cafe menu. “The ownership I had of the program really allowed me to experiment and push the envelope.” Enis recalls introducing the now-popular espresso tonic at Bolt, a drink that was at that time unfamiliar to the Providence coffee scene. “We were also one of the first and only places to also offer washed single-origin Ethiopian coffees as espressos, versus the more typically used Guatemalan and Colombian blends.” The former tend to have a lighter, fruitier, slightly acidic profile compared to the bolder, nuttier flavors of the latter.
Following his nine-year tenure at Bolt, which also involved launching and running the roastery, Enis spent a few years further immersing himself in the industry and managing large scale roasting operations in the region. Finally, in late 2024, Enis decided to go full time with Enjoy and open his own roastery. “I saw a huge opportunity to leverage the connections, sourcing, and roasting knowledge I had cultivated for the past decade and feature really dynamic coffee that wasn’t being offered anywhere else,” he said.
Despite the inherent risk in introducing unconventional coffees to the market in Providence, Enjoy is thriving. “We are growing every month and have recently purchased a second roaster,” Enis notes. Beyond having monthly subscribers and online ordering, Enjoy’s coffees have become a staple at several Providence shops, including Reprise Cafe on Carpenter Street in the West End and Sawyer’s on Broadway.
For Levesque, featuring Enjoy at Dissent cafe was an easy decision. “Justin is someone in the industry that is making serious contributions to the coffee landscape,” says Levesque. “His sourcing is fantastic and his roasting technique produces the type of profile I love and seek out.” One of Levesque’s favorites from Enjoy is called “Edwin Noreña – Sidra” (named after the producer of the beans and also the cultivar), which boasts a complex, floral, and tropical aromatic profile.
At Dissent Cafe, Levesque maintains a rotating stock of Enjoy beans alongside an impressive inventory of 30 different types of coffees that customers can explore in espresso shots, lattes, pourovers, and flights. “I want to offer a menu where the customer can have a great specialty coffee experience and try something outside their comfort zones,” says Levesque. He notes that several times a week a customer will be taken aback by tasting something they were not expecting. “They are unsure if they like it and go through a lot of emotions and questions in real-time,” he laughs, “but many of these customers come back and order it again.”
Levesque is a true technician when it comes to brewing. At the cafe, he can be seen measuring and weighing each cup down to the gram, and calibrating the minerality of the water as well. “The goal, he says, is to achieve clarity and balance with every cup.”
As small business owners, Enis and Levesque have been impacted by global and domestic policy such as ongoing tariffs, inflation, and the war in Iran.
“Everything from the coffee bags, to tape, to the shipping boxes, and filling up on gas to get supplies is impacting us,” notes Enis. “Running a business is kind of psychotic,” he laughs.
A customer at Dissent Cafe with a hand-poured coffee flight. Photo: Amber Ma
Enis also explained that he has coffee beans from Rwanda that are stuck on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that has not been allowed to pass. This situation illustrates how small business owners are forced to navigate circumstances beyond their control. While many cannot absorb the risk of these uncertainties, Enis is choosing to stick by his importer – who is also a small business – bearing the delay to ensure they both weather the storm.
This relational approach highlights a unique ethos of specialty coffee, which can foster a more ethical and interconnected supply chain that contrasts with the transactional nature of larger, mass-market ventures focused on sheer volume. Specialty coffee carries a higher price tag because it reflects the meticulous care, ethical labor, and sustainable practices required to bring small-batch origin-specific beans from farm to cup.
Ultimately, this movement toward specialty coffee is more than just a better-tasting beverage. “It’s a political choice,” Levesque emphasizes. “We’re trying to support farmers and maintain transparency throughout the entire supply chain.” By prioritizing high-quality direct sourcing, the customer knows the region, the farm, the cultivar, and the process behind every bean. This “clarity in a cup” is the first step toward a more ethical and transparent industry – one cup of flavorful coffee at a time.
Enjoy Coffee Roasters is located on Manton Ave in Olneyville. Individuals can become monthly subscribers, purchase their coffee on their website, or find their bags at various shops through Providence (Sawyer’s, Reprise, Stock Culinary Goods). To enjoy a fresh cup, visit Sawyer’s, Reprise, Dissent, There There, Bayberry Garden, Oberlin, Claudine’s, Babes Pie Co, Little City and The Grind, all of which brew Enjoy at their cafes and restaurants. Enjoy also holds occasional tasting room events and has tentative plans to open a cafe space in Olneyville in the future. Please note, Enjoy coffees are highly seasonal and certain varieties have limited availability.
Dissent Cafe is located on 250 Main Street in Pawtucket (Google Map users may need to search “Still on Main” or “Seed Cafe”) on the lower floor of “Still on Main.” They are open 8am – 3pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 9am – 3pm Sunday. Please check Instagram for the most up to date hours.
[CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misspelled Justin Enis’ last name. The Providence Eye regrets the error.]
Amber Ma lives on the west end of Providence with her husband and two cats. She loves gardening, shopping at farmers markets, and cooking with local and homegrown ingredients. She is also passionate about transit, sustainability, and pollinators. She is a volunteer at the Community Cat Center in Johnston. She and her husband went car-free in 2022 and are always exploring the city by foot, bike, or bus.
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