Our Story
Comet Coffee was co-founded in 2012 by married duo Mark Atwood and Stephanie Fischer. Their business partnership was built upon a shared love of both specialty coffee and exceptional pastries. Intelligentsia, a roastery and cafe based out of Chicago, was among the first roasters to be featured at Comet.
From there, Mark expanded Comet’s selection to include international roasters including Tim Wendelboe (Oslo, Norway), Square Mile (London, UK), and 49th Parallel (Vancouver, BC). Most notably, Mark developed a long-term partnership with Sweet Bloom out of Westminster, Colorado. Meanwhile, Stephanie was curating an outstanding pastry selection and perfecting croissant recipes that we still use to this day. In the years that have followed, Comet has established itself as a multi-roaster with an emphasis on specialty coffee, exceptional pastries, and friendly service. We strive to honor Mark and Stephanie’s commitment to “quality to a fault,” as Mark would say.
Today, Comet Coffee is owned and operated by brothers Matt and Tim Garvey. Matt and Tim opened their first business, Pretzel Boys, in St. Louis in 2011. A little over ten years and several locations later, Matt and Tim became interested in expanding their business portfolio together. Around the same time, Mark and Stephanie decided to pursue different careers, and entrusted Comet Coffee to the Garvey brothers in 2023. Upon acquiring Comet, Matt and Tim have continued using the blueprint for operations that Mark and Stephanie so lovingly crafted.
Comet currently features roasters from all around the globe and has established long-term relationships with many others. We aspire to provide our customers with the best experience we can possibly give them, and to share with them our passion for the products we serve.
Meet the Team
Shaw General Manager
David Varwig
How long have you been in the industry?
- 7 years
What’s your preferred coffee beverage?
- Pour Over
Who have you looked up to in the industry?
- Victoria Herndl of Kaffeelix, Elysia Tan of Homeground, Emi Fukahori of MAME, and Olinka and Diana Velez of Finca Chorora and Yambamine
What do you like to do in your spare time?
- Smoke cigars, drink scotch, and hang out with friends
What’s one fun fact about you/your life?
- I've seen a Blue Whale and a Whale Shark in real life!
Oakland General Manager
Hailey Wolfe
How long have you been in the industry?
- 7 years
What’s your preferred coffee beverage?
- Hot Latte
Who have you looked up to in the industry?
- Olinka and Diana Velez of Finca Chorora and Yambamine
What do you like to do in your spare time?
- Try new cooking recipes, hang out with my cat, and play video games.
What’s one fun fact about you/your life?
- I’m the oldest of five. My youngest sibling is 21 years younger than me.
Shaw Assistant Manager
Alexa Drouin
How long have you been in the industry?
- 5 years
What’s your preferred coffee beverage?
- Oat Milk Cortado!
Who have you looked up to in the industry?
- Working at Comet has completely opened my world to all sorts of great people and coffee, the standout at the moment for me being September Roasting Company - I still dream of the Buttercream espresso we had on feature!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
- I'm always interested in picking up another hobby, but currently I enjoy reading, gardening, and mending/repairing clothes.
What’s one fun fact about you/your life?
- I got bit by a copperhead snake on the foot and had to hike with crutches because of it.
Oakland Assistant Manager
Stevie Ellis
How long have you been in the industry?
- 4.5 years
What’s your preferred coffee beverage?
- Hand brew with a side of ‘spro
Who have you looked up to in the industry?
- My peers honestly; seeing people being passionate about coffee and being able to have direct access to education and knowledge along with first hand experiences.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
- I paint, do yoga, bake and cook, travel, listen to dark history and mystery podcasts.
What’s one fun fact about you/your life?
- I have 25 tattoos
Head Roaster
Kiri Hearn
How long have you been in the industry?
- Off and on for 16 years
What’s your preferred coffee beverage?
- Cortado sidecar with oatmilk
Who have you looked up to in the industry?
- Miki Suzuki, for shaking things up with humility and her willingness to play with coffee standards!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
- Aside from spending time with my cats: antiquing/thrifting, gardening, watercolor painting, and streaming video games online!
What’s one fun fact about you/your life?
- I used to work in Makeup Fx and Costuming for some big Hollywood productions, so I bring my A-game to Halloween parties.
Bakery Manager
Monica Tirre
How long have you been in the industry?
- I've been in various parts of the sugar world for almost 15 years now.
What's your preferred coffee beverage?
- My professional coffee peers might shutter at this but an oat milk mocha latte (hot or iced) is my comfort drink!
Who have you looked up to in the industry?
- My former coworkers/managers who have provided a kitchen work environment that was not the traditional, toxic space. It kept me from getting jaded about working in the food industry!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
- In my spare time I like to be smothered by my dog, hike, listen to silly podcasts, and watch movies.
What's one fun fact about you?
- I recently went to my 40th state which was North Dakota and it was surprisingly stunning.