Earlier coffee roasters in Asheville
The idea of fresh roasted coffee isn't quite so recent as you might expect. From an 1890 Asheville City Directory, we find that the Union Tea Company at 52 S. Main Street -- which is now Biltmore Ave -- were importers of "Ornamental and useful Japanese Work", as well as "the very highest grades of teas, spices, coffees, green and roasted" --
They offer to their many customers a superior quality of fresh roasted coffee every Monday morning. This is a special feature of their line, and for deliciousness of flavor is unsurpassed.
The Royal Victoria Hotel (later called the Oxford Hotel) was built at 52 S Main in 1891, a year after this directory listing. There are now luxury condominiums on the site.
And then there was Revell & Wagner, who were both a wholesale and retail grocer, just 'round the corner at 28 Patton Ave. They did Union Tea one better by roasting every day. Their "stock of Fancy and Staple Groceries" included
... coffee of superior flavor, roasted on the premises daily and ground for every customer, which is an important feature of their business.
The large building at 28 Patton ("The Harkins") was apparently an office building as well as retail with numerous tenants. It later became Efird's Department Store. The entire block was razed in 1980 for a parking lot.