A great deal of inspiration – in coffee, business and even his business’s name – went into Robb Kashevarof’s creation of Valentine Coffee Roasters on State Street.

The Wauwatosa West graduate, who later attended Marquette University, was a bit of a vagabond, traveling around Europe while playing professional soccer in Poland. He also has managed restaurants in Hawaii and Oregon. After returning to Milwaukee and the restaurant industry, Kashevarof met and started working with Joe Gilsdorf.

“Immediately Joe and I recognized that we were both craving a higher-quality Terrior-driven coffee – coffees that possessed character, nuance and a sense of place. Coffee without bitterness, coffee roasted to take advantage of the natural sweetness of the fruit,” Kashevarof said.

Terroir coffee was their first inspiration. The coffee beans and roasting process produce coffees without bitterness, taking advantage of the natural sweetness of the fruit, he added.

Kashevarof said that when he and his wife, Virginia, started Valentine’s two years ago, the predominant coffee roasting theory was the darker the better, adding “In our estimation, this method cooks all the finer points out of coffee; a more thoughtful approach to roasting could elevate the beans and preserve and highlight uniqueness, origin and quality.”