TL;DR
Get kitchen staples and gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Good Trouble Roasters opened a cafe in Arlington, Virginia, in late October. Owner Mike Greiner is awaiting county approval to begin roasting onsite; until then, nearby Beanetics Coffee roasts the shop’s selected green coffees to his specifications. The cafe also plans coffee education events and, pending licensing, beer and wine.
Good Trouble Roasters opened a cafe and planned roastery in Arlington, Virginia, in late October, introducing a new neighborhood coffee business whose onsite roasting operation is still awaiting county approval. Owner Mike Greiner’s green coffees are currently roasted to his specifications by Beanetics Coffee in nearby Annandale while the shop waits to use its own 3-kilogram-capacity roaster.
The shop is at 3800 Langston Blvd. in Arlington’s Cherrydale neighborhood. Its colorful interior includes murals, green walls and multicolored seating. A 20-foot, Corian-topped bar anchors service, with baristas using a refurbished La Marzocco Linea espresso machine and a Fetco batch brewer. Drinks are served in ceramics made by Brooklyn-based artist Jess Kostelnick, who also created the murals.
Greiner said he placed the Air-Motion Roasters machine near the front window so customers can see it once county approval allows it to operate. Until then, the shop’s beans are toll-roasted by Beanetics Coffee according to Greiner’s specifications. The source report does not give a timetable for the approval process.
The coffee menu emphasizes lighter roast profiles and the distinctive characteristics of individual coffees, while the espresso blend includes some more-roasted beans to balance its flavor. Food offerings include pastries from Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, sandwiches from The Italian Store and jars of Black Market Salsa, Greiner’s salsa business. The cafe also plans to serve beer and wine, subject to licensing.
A New Cherrydale Coffee Destination
The opening adds an independent cafe to Arlington’s Cherrydale neighborhood, combining coffee service with a planned roasting operation, local food suppliers and artwork by a longtime friend of the owner. The roaster’s location in the front window is intended to make the production process visible, but that feature is not yet operational while approval remains pending.
For customers, the shop’s early offering goes beyond coffee: it sells Black Market Salsa by the jar, alongside pastries and sandwiches, and is considering beer and wine once licensed. Greiner has also described plans for public tastings and small classes aimed at introducing customers to different coffees. Those events are future plans, not activities the source report says have begun.
Greiner said he hopes the business will work with local nonprofits and charitable causes after it becomes established. That goal is tied to the shop’s name, which refers to civil rights leader and former congressman John Lewis’s call to get into “good trouble.” The report does not identify specific nonprofit partners or a schedule for community projects.
Products Worth Considering

Cuisinart Advantage Nonstick Cookware Set, 11-Piece, Black

Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA-70NAS, 1800W, 8-in-1 with Air Fry, Convection, Broil & Grill, 0.6 Cu Ft, Stainless Steel

Ninja French Door Premier Air Fry Oven, 10-in-1, 20.3 Qt, Stainless Steel, FO101
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Salsa Business to Roastery
Greiner, who was born and raised in New Mexico, started Black Market Salsa in 2008. He and his wife, Jen Warren, moved frequently during her military career, and Greiner said Arlington was one of their favorite places to live. The couple returned to the area in 2023, before Warren retired as an Air Force colonel.
The salsa remains part of the new cafe’s business: customers can eat some in the shop with tortilla chips and purchase the jar to take home. The cafe’s other food partnerships include nearby businesses Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe and The Italian Store. The report presents these offerings as part of Greiner’s effort to build a broader neighborhood cafe, rather than a coffee-only menu.
Good Trouble’s roasting approach reflects Greiner’s stated preference for lighter profiles that highlight coffee-bean characteristics. He also acknowledged that lighter roasts are not every customer’s preference, saying the espresso blend incorporates more-roasted beans to balance the profiles. The planned onsite equipment has a 3-kilogram capacity, but it has not yet received the county approval needed to begin operating.
““I want to educate people. I want to bring people into what coffee can be and the exciting things that it can do.””
— Mike Greiner, Good Trouble Roasters owner
Roaster Approval and Licensing
The source report says the onsite roaster is awaiting county approval, but it does not specify which approvals are outstanding, when a decision is expected or when roasting could begin. For now, Beanetics Coffee in Annandale roasts Good Trouble’s green coffees to Greiner’s specifications.
The cafe’s plans to add beer and wine depend on licensing, and no licensing decision or launch date is given. The report also does not provide dates for the proposed classes and tastings, name nonprofit partners, or specify when the business will start charitable collaborations.
Approval Before In-House Roasting
The next operational milestone is county approval for the 3-kilogram Air-Motion roaster. Until that is granted, the cafe’s coffee will continue to be roasted by Beanetics Coffee. Good Trouble has also said it intends to pursue the licenses needed to serve beer and wine, but the report gives no timeline for those applications or any planned start date.
Greiner said the business hopes to add small classes and tastings as the shop matures, and to work with local nonprofits after it has established itself. Those plans remain prospective; the company has not announced dates, partners or specific programs in the source report.
Key Questions
Where is Good Trouble Roasters?
The cafe is at 3800 Langston Blvd. in Arlington’s Cherrydale neighborhood.
Is Good Trouble roasting coffee onsite yet?
Not according to the source report. The planned 3-kilogram roaster is awaiting county approval; Beanetics Coffee in nearby Annandale currently roasts Good Trouble’s green coffees to the owner’s specifications.
What food does the cafe serve?
The menu includes pastries from Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, sandwiches from The Italian Store and jars of Black Market Salsa, which customers can also eat with tortilla chips in the shop.
Will Good Trouble serve beer and wine?
The business plans to add beer and wine pending licensing. The report does not give a licensing timeline or a start date.
Does the cafe have scheduled coffee classes or community events?
Greiner has said he hopes to offer small classes and tastings and to work with local nonprofits once the business is established. The source report does not list confirmed event dates or nonprofit partners.
Source: dailycoffeenews.com
