The Cat Nap Coffee Roasting Cafe will make its Staunton debut August 9 and 10 at Queen City Brewing Co.
Ryan Brosmer has been roasting Cat Nap blends at Art Hive for a year in August, so the debut will also celebrate his small business anniversary. He has also tested a pop-up coffee cart at Art Hive on select days since early April 2025 and shared his blends at the indoor winter farmer’s market at Trinity Episcopal Church from January to March.
“August marks one year of Cat Nap. So this is all happening to kind of celebrate our one-year anniversary and, over the past year, it has been a lot of very small steps,” Brosmer said. “I try never to get too far ahead of myself but also jumping at every opportunity that presents itself that seems like a good idea.”
Cat Nap‘s online costumer base has grown, as has its availability whole sale at select businesses in Richmond and Newport News.
“Once the farmer’s market ended, I wanted something else to kind of take that spot on the weekends, have somewhere else that people could come and get our coffee,” Brosmer, who lives in Staunton, said.
Brosmer said he approached Queen City Brewing‘s owners about a partnership. When the brewery is not open for customers, Cat Nap Coffee will be available. After the debut weekend, regular hours will be Wednesdays to Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Staunton is a small city. We’re limited on space,” Brosmer said of brick-and-mortar options for Cat Nap. Also, a partnership with Queen City Brewing gives him a chance to try a brick-and-mortar location without taking on all the responsibilities of renting space.
Cat Nap’s full coffee menu will be available at the cafe, including espressos, decaf, lattes, matcha and Chai. Beans will be available for purchase at Queen City Brewing and at Art Hive.
Brosmer may add Monday and Tuesday hours later to the regular schedule.
“We’ll see how, once the school year starts,” he said. He specifically chose to open at 7 a.m. on weekdays so that teachers and school staff are able to come for a cup of Cat Nap before going to school for the day.
His vision is of Cat Nap‘s cafe “being a pit stop on the way to the park.” Brosmer often operated Cat Nap‘s pop-up cart at Art Hive on days when events were being held at nearby Gypsy Hill Park.
The cafe will also offer small bites of snacks and a rotating schedule of food trucks. On Sunday, August 10, Wild Altar Farmstead will set up and prepare breakfast sandwiches, which they also sell at the Staunton and Waynesboro farmer’s markets.
Brosmer is driven by his love of coffee and the community. He said he chose to build what he wants to see in the community by opening the cafe on Spring Hill Road. His favorite coffee habit is that first cup in the morning.
“Sometimes more than just the coffee itself [my favorite part] is the ritual of doing it,” Brosmer said.
Staff will run the cafe while Brosmer continues to roast blends at Art Hive. He said part of the success he wants Cat Nap to achieve is that he will pay staff well.
“For the past year, it has been just me, and friends and family occasionally helping out,” Brosmer said of the big step of hiring staff. “I’ll officially have four employees.”
In the spirit of community and collaboration, Brosmer will also become the coffee provided for members at the Staunton Innovation Hub downtown by August 1. He said his coffee roasting venture has turned out bigger than he expected.
“And it’s just another step. Who knows where it will go from here. I’m excited to see what happens. I’m very confident in our success,” Brosmer said.
Cat Nap Coffee fans can follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Queen City Brewing is at 824 Spring Hill Rd., Staunton.
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Rebecca Barnabi
