At a glance
- Roasts inBoston, MA
- Founded1999
- Founded byVincent Petryk
- VisitorsOpen to the public
J.P. Licks Coffee Roasters is one of the beloved local roasters we follow in Massachusetts: an independent roaster based in Boston, founded in 1999. Here is what their own pages and public sources say about them, in our words.
Their story
Vincent Petryk opened J.P. Licks as an ice cream shop in 1981 and added coffee roasting in 1999. He says he started roasting after Starbucks bought the Coffee Connection and he could no longer find a good cup in Boston. The house style sits in the middle, roasted dark enough for a strong cup but stopped before the beans taste burnt.
The roaster is tucked into the back of the Jamaica Plain shop, where it turns out batches of 25 to 30 pounds, the Boston Globe reported in December 2025. Hank Rose has roasted for the company for nearly 20 years and says visitors who spot the drum often mistake it for an ice cream maker. The company buys roughly 7,000 pounds of green coffee every three months, all of it certified fair trade and organic, according to the Globe.
Its Kilimanjaro blend combines coffees from Kenya, Tanzania and Guatemala.
What they roast
Roast levels run Medium. House blends include House Blend, Kilimanjaro Blend, Mild Blend and Dark Roast Blend. Single origins on the list when we checked: Nicaragua El Recreo, Fair Trade Honduras Marcala, Sumatra Mandheling, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Costa Rica Tarrazu, Colombia Huila Santa Maria, Guatemala Huehuetenango and French Roast Colombia. Espresso Roast Blend. Decaf Colombia, Decaf Mexico, Decaf Mayan, Decaf Espresso Roast. Offerings change with the seasons, so this is what their own pages listed on 2026-09-28.
Where to drink it
Its coffee is served at the espresso bars in all 16 J.P. Licks shops.
Address
The roastery's street address is not published.
Why buying from J.P. Licks Coffee Roasters matters here
Offices can set up regular deliveries of 1 and 5 pound bags through the company's catering manager.
Every bag bought from a Boston roaster pays roasting and cafe wages in Massachusetts, and the coffee reaches you days after roasting instead of months. That is the reason the club exists. Why local roasters matter.
About this listing
Listed as a local favorite. A listing does not mean J.P. Licks Coffee Roasters is part of the club.
Are you J.P. Licks Coffee Roasters? Email coffee@baystatecoffeeclub.com to correct or remove this page.
More Massachusetts roasters
- Gracenote Coffee, Boston
- An(other) Coffee Company, Boston
- Pavement Coffeehouse, Boston
By Joe McRose, Bay State Coffee Club. Updated . Facts from J.P. Licks Coffee Roasters' own pages and public sources, read 2026-09-28.