Quest for the best coffee leads to long-running Elmwood business

In the early 1990's, Elmwood resident John Eager's desire for finding the "best cup of coffee" led him to begin roasting his own coffee in a steel pan in his home oven. He eventually moved up to buying a 1910 Royal #5 Coffee Roaster from the East Coast, and had to give away coffee to friends because he could only drink so much of what he made.

Eager now is in his 17th year of operating Highland Hollow Coffee and Tea Company on Main Street in Elmwood. He taught himself how to make his wide variety of organic coffees.

"People started to say they'd buy (my coffee) from me," Eager said. "I went to see what I'd have to do to legally sell coffee, and I'd have to have a building that's like a restaurant, so I ended up (on Main Street)."

Eager still worked full time when the store opened in 2001, while his quest for a good cup of coffee "ended up being a hobby gone awry," he joked.

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