GROWTH STORY
She was outsourcing coffee roasting and bleeding money. Then she built her own roastery — and grew sales 50%.
Hero Coffee Roasters at a glance:
Outsourcing coffee roasting was expensive and convoluted; opening more brick-and-mortar locations meant more labor and overhead; Chicago parking/dock access limited
Customizable warehouse space to build in-house roastery; loading docks for deliveries; conference rooms for cuppings and team meetings; 24/7 access; all-inclusive pricing
50% growth in online and in-store sales; expanded from one unit to two; costs cut in half vs. brick-and-mortar; custom roastery built to brand specifications
Michelle Martinez had a coffee roasting problem. Hero Coffee — her brand supplying brick-and-mortar cafes across Chicago plus her own retail line — was growing fast. But the roasting happened somewhere else. Other warehouses processed her beans through an expensive, convoluted system that bled money and added complexity. She knew the next step was bringing production in-house. The question was where. Opening more cafe locations with roasting facilities meant more labor, more team members, more of everything that was already stretching thin.
Then she walked WareSpace. The light bulb moment was immediate: this has everything we need for our growth story. Hero Coffee Roasters became one of the first tenants, and three and a half years later, Michelle has built exactly what she envisioned — a custom roastery with music and lights and the energy of her brand, shipping coffee throughout the United States. Online and in-store sales have both grown 50%. They’ve expanded from one unit to two, with more growth planned for 2025 and 2026. The costs got cut in half compared to traditional brick-and-mortar. And Michelle finally has a space that’s hers — no restaurant chaos, no fighting Chicago traffic and parking for deliveries, just coffee and the freedom to roast it right.
Before WareSpace Paying Someone Else to Roast Her Coffee
Paying Someone Else to Roast Her Coffee
Hero Coffee was outgrowing its model. Michelle Martinez ran Hero Coffee and Bagel Bar in downtown Chicago while also building Hero Coffee Roasters — her wholesale and retail coffee brand. The problem: she didn’t control the roasting.
Production happened at other warehouses. Getting beans from those facilities to where they needed to go was expensive and convoluted — a middle layer that ate into margins and added complexity to every order. As the business grew, the inefficiency became unsustainable.
The obvious next step was bringing roasting in-house. But where? Michelle considered adding roasting facilities to her brick-and-mortar cafe locations. The math didn’t work. More locations meant more labor, more team members, more overhead. The costs multiplied instead of consolidating.
Traditional warehouses presented their own problems. Chicago means limited parking, limited dock access, big trucks fighting for space. And most warehouse options came with the complexity of separate utility bills, maintenance responsibilities, and cookie-cutter spaces that didn’t fit Hero’s brand.
Michelle needed a space that could become a real roastery — customizable, accessible, affordable — without the overhead of running a full building. She started looking at warehouses, trying to figure out what dock space looked like, what amenities existed, what the next step for Hero Coffee actually was.
“We were outgrowing our business and it was starting to get really expensive. We needed to determine what that next step looked like for Hero Coffee. Once we came to WareSpace, it was that light bulb moment — this has everything we need to help with our growth story.”
Michelle Martinez Hero Coffee Roasters
Making the Switch Building a Roastery With Personality
Building a Roastery With Personality
When Michelle walked WareSpace, the clarity was immediate. This solved everything. Hero Coffee Roasters became one of the first tenants.
The customization possibilities set WareSpace apart. Michelle had a vision for the space — not a cookie-cutter warehouse, but a roastery with Hero’s energy and vibe. Management came in, walked the space with her, helped visualize it. Within a week, they brought it to fruition. Now the roastery has music and lights and the personality of the brand. It’s become a cool spot that people actually want to visit.
The loading docks handle deliveries two to three times a week — coffee beans, packages, supplies. In Chicago, where parking and dock access are constant battles, having products arrive in a timely manner with security and no traffic fights has been a perfect problem-solver.
The conference rooms serve an unexpected purpose: coffee cuppings. When Michelle’s team needs quieter discussions away from warehouse noise, they block time in the conference room. TV, wifi, whiteboards — all the tools for team meetings and product tastings in a professional setting.
The shared equipment and amenities feel like freebies that are actually essential. No paying for equipment. No maintaining it. No outsourcing parts when something breaks. Everything needed is already there, already working.
The all-inclusive rent consolidated what would have been multiple bills into one payment. No hidden fees. Simple budgeting. Even wifi and easy bathroom access — small things that go a long way when you’re running production.
Where They Are Now 50% Growth and Counting
50% Growth and Counting
Three and a half years at WareSpace, and Hero Coffee Roasters has transformed. Online sales grew 50%. In-store sales grew 50%. The ability to roast more coffee in a larger space has been vital to that success.
The financial boost has been immense. Bringing roasting in-house eliminated the expensive outsourcing. Not having traditional brick-and-mortar overhead with all its excess bills cut costs in half. The savings compound as the business scales — money that would have gone to middlemen and utilities now fuels growth.
Hero Coffee Roasters started with one unit and has expanded to two. There are plans in the works for 2025 and 2026, and Michelle knows WareSpace will be right beside her for that growth. The scalability was built into the model from day one.
The 24/7 access with personalized key codes means the team can work outside normal hours — essential for production schedules that don’t fit 9-to-5. Staff can get things done when they need to, not when a building manager says they can.
The community has been an unexpected bonus. Michelle knows her neighbors now. The rec room and shared spaces create opportunities to have lunch with other business owners — small and large. It’s a value she wasn’t anticipating but has come to appreciate.
Management remains central to the experience. One phone call, one email — problems get solved. That responsiveness has been an immense stress reliever, freeing Michelle to focus on coffee instead of building issues.
“We’ve had a financial boost in our personal business. We’re saving so much money by not having our traditional brick and mortar with all of those excess bills. It’s been immense for us as we start to grow — and we only see it growing further.”
Michelle Martinez Hero Coffee Roasters
What They Love Control Creates Growth
Control Creates Growth
For Hero Coffee Roasters, WareSpace enabled something that seemed out of reach: bringing production in-house without the overhead of building ownership.
Three and a half years, 50% growth in sales, costs cut in half, production brought in-house. Michelle finally controls her coffee from roast to cup — and WareSpace made that possible.
How long does it take to sign a lease and move in?
What’s included with my rental?
Your rental at WareSpace comes with a comprehensive range of amenities and services designed to simplify your operations and maximize efficiency. Here’s what’s included:
- Loading Docks – Access to shared or private loading docks, making shipping and receiving seamless.
- Racking Systems – Available in select units to optimize your storage capacity.
- Property Taxes – Fully covered as part of your rental agreement.
- Utilities – Electricity, heating, and cooling included in your rent.
- High-Speed Internet – Fast and reliable internet to keep your business connected.
- Maintenance Services – General building maintenance, including repairs and upkeep.
- Cleaning Services – Common areas and exterior spaces cleaned regularly.
- Landscaping – Professional landscaping to maintain a clean and professional exterior.
- Security – Secure facilities with surveillance and controlled access.
- On-Site Parking – Ample parking for employees, visitors, and business vehicles.
- Shared Facilities – Access to common spaces, including conference rooms, kitchens, and restrooms.
- Waste Management – Trash and recycling services included.
- Community Perks – Networking events, tenant support, and other resources to help your business thrive.
Are there loading docks available?
Every location is designed to have the right amount of docks so there will never be a traffic jam and always be enough or the tenants to share. Most locations have 3-5 docks that are shared by the community. Traffic jams have never been an issue.
What different size options do you have for space?
Yes, all of our buildings are secure. We have interior and exterior video surveillance, access control and other methods of keeping it secure while still allowing controlled access for members, their guests, visitors and logistics deliveries.
Find a WareSpace near you
►
Explore 3D Space