South 17 Roasters

In June of 2011, Dexter Koen went on a Medical Mission trip to the mountain village of Jinotega outside of the capital city of Managua, Nicaragua. While there, he and the team ministered to the coffee farmers that lived in the village by day and slept in a coffee warehouse at night.

On the way back to the mission home in Managua, their translator and guide asked Dexter if he’d like a cup of coffee for the ride. Though he was confused at the request as they were on a small dirt road on the side of the mountain, Dexter told him yes.

As they rounded a curve on this small road, a white van with an awning came into view. It was set up as a roadside cafe. There, Dexter says he had the best cup of coffee he’s ever had in his life.

When he returned from his trip, he proposed his ideas to his wife, Ashley. Dexter told her that he thought they should either become missionaries or they needed to open a coffee shop of their own. Ashley responded that she thought a coffee shop would definitely be the easier of the two… and so began their journey to what is now South 17 Roasters.

After many years in the medical field, Ashley decided to try her hand at a new profession. For a couple of years she managed a small local coffee shop in a neighboring town. After proving to herself that she could be successful in the coffee world, Ashley & Dexter decided it was time to start working on their dream by moving forward with their own business. Dexter bought a small electric coffee roaster and began to perfect his craft in the kitchen of their home.

They began advertising their new coffee roasting adventures on social media where they were met with enthusiasm by their local community. Their community didn’t just want bagged coffee though, they also wanted well-crafted drinks and a place to gather together to share their lives.

After much prep work, Dexter and Ashley agreed in August of 2022 that it was time to give their community and themselves what they had been wanting for so long. They began the process of finding a space, upgrading their small electric roaster to a larger gas roaster, and ultimately opening the South 17 Roasters coffee shop in Millry, Alabama. Since then, they have upgraded their roaster yet again to keep up with the demands of not only their coffee shop but also the demands of other shops who purchase their wholesale coffee.

So if you ever find yourself in Southwest Alabama near the small town of Millry, stop in, grab a drink or a bag of coffee, and taste the difference with South 17 Roasters.