Crown Street Roasting Company is welcoming new owners, as Nick and Mikayla Certo are nearing the completion of purchasing the business from its current owners, Michael and Sarah Bigney. Pictured, from left, are Mikayla Certo, Nick Certo, Michael Bigney and Sarah Bigney. P-J photo by Timothy Frudd

Crown Street Roasting Company hosted a meet and greet Monday evening to celebrate the transition of ownership from Michael and Sarah Bigney to Nick and Mikayla Certo.

Michael and Sarah Bigney first opened Crown Street Roasting Company in 2017. Michael Bigney said they have enjoyed “working for themselves” over the years and having the opportunity to invest in their employees, build them up and watch them become successful in the business.

“It’s pretty rewarding,” he said.

Sarah Bigney said their decision to sell the business is due to their desire to move on to something new in a new location.

“We love visiting Florida,” she said. “We have a lot of friends in Florida, so we kind of just felt like we were ready for something else, definitely some sunshine and some warm weather.”

Bigney said the “perfect opportunity” arose when the couple decided they wanted to sell the business. She explained that Nick Certo has worked at Crown Street Roasting Company for roughly four and a half years out of the five and a half years the business has been in operation. Bigney said that Certo was interested in playing a larger role with the business, which led to the opportunity for the couple to sell Crown Street Roasting Company to someone who would carry on their vision for the business.

“He and his wife are really excited and super invested in what happens in downtown Jamestown, so it was like a win-win all around,” Bigney said. “We felt comfortable that this is the next thing for them, and it can be the next thing for us too.”

Michael Bigney said he has been training Certo how to properly roast the coffee over the past couple months so that Certo will be able to take over “every aspect of the business.”

Sarah Bigney said one of the things she has enjoyed throughout their time as the owners of Crown Street Roasting Company is the community mindset of Jamestown.

“Really watching Jamestown and how its transformed since when we opened to now, there are so many new businesses and it’s a really awesome community to be a part of, I would say,” she said.

Reflecting on the success of their business, Bigney said Crown Street Roasting Company has provided amazing opportunities and experiences for the couple.

Certo explained that Monday’s meet and greet event provided an opportunity for community members and the business’s wholesale partners to understand the transition of ownership, celebrate the work of Michael and Sarah Bigney and engage in conversation regarding the future of the business.

According to Certo, the transition of ownership is expected to be finalized by next week.

“We’ve been transitioning and learning everything that we could learn for the last several months,” he said. “I started working here four years ago, almost five years ago now, probably like a year after they opened. I started out as a barista and loved that. A couple years later, I was a manager. A little bit ago, Sarah and Michael came to me and let me know what they were thinking and asked if I was interested, and I said I was.”

Mikayla Certo explained that she wholeheartedly supported her husband’s interest in buying the business. After discussing the potential transition of ownership, Certo said she told her husband to “go for it.”

“It’s something that we’re excited to do together,” she said. “We love Jamestown so much, so this is a dream come true for us.”

Despite the transition of ownership, Nick Certo said that visitors can expect the business to remain the same. Certo plans on limiting changes at Crown Street Roasting Company and “keeping everything the same.”

Certo said he has been learning the process of roasting coffee over the past several months. He explained that Michael Bigney taught him every step of the process so that he and his wife can “hit the ground running” as they take over the business.

Asked about the importance of Crown Street Roasting Company to the community, Certo explained that he has seen the “potential” of Jamestown during his years of working at the business. He believes Crown Street Roasting Company contributes to that potential and provides an opportunity for people to meet, communicate with one another and build community.

“I really just am looking forward to continuing to have this be a place that people love to come and meet,” he said. “I love day to day just making the coffee drinks for people and just seeing the smiles and being part of everyone’s morning. It’s really that interaction with people that I love. I’m excited to continue that experience.”