Rooted in Coffee, Community, and Connection
For Ben Montgomery ’20 and Walker Johnson ’20, coffee was never just coffee. Long before they opened the doors of Yaggy Road Roasting Company and The Press in downtown Valparaiso, the two friends were learning the rhythms of community together in Hutchinson, Kansas. They met in elementary school, played sports together, shared classes, and eventually discovered a mutual fascination with coffee during high school afternoons spent at a local café called The Metro. What began as a simple after-school ritual soon became a shared passion.
When it came time to choose a college, Valparaiso University entered the picture out of the blue. Ben’s father discovered Valpo while researching theology programs, and after visiting campus, Ben felt immediately drawn to the University’s sense of community and opportunity. Walker joined him on a follow-up visit, and before long, the two friends found themselves nearly 700 miles from home pursuing theology degrees in Indiana.
At first glance, the pair quickly became known around campus for all the similarities they shared: both theology majors, both from Kansas, both with long hair, and both deeply interested in coffee. Beneath the surface, Valpo gave them the meaningful opportunities to experiment, explore ideas, and build community around something they loved.
Their dorm room soon became a gathering place. Shelves overflowed with grinders, brewers, mugs, and coffee gadgets. Friends stopped by for cups of carefully brewed coffee, conversations stretched late into the evening, and the pair discovered that coffee could create strong connections and a sense of community. Those moments shaped the foundation of what would eventually become their business philosophy: coffee as hospitality, relationship, and shared experience.
Their curiosity soon evolved into something deeper. While learning more about specialty coffee, Walker and Ben connected with a coffee producer in Costa Rica named Marianella, whose work introduced them to the realities of global coffee production and direct trade relationships. What began as a simple phone call asking to purchase a small amount of coffee became a turning point in their understanding of the industry.
Determined to build something more ethical and relational, they pooled together enough money during college to purchase their first full burlap sack of green coffee beans. They hauled it into their dorm room and began roasting small batches on popcorn poppers and household roasting equipment, which led to serving coffee at campus events and gatherings. Students who tried their coffee were often surprised by how different their coffee tasted. It was flavorful, approachable, and something to be enjoyed rather than covered up with cream and sugar.
During this time, Valpo became an even bigger part of their story. The University community encouraged their creativity, supported their experimentation, and gave them opportunities to share their work. Campus events, friendships, and relationships helped turn a hobby into something sustainable. Even after graduation, Walker and Ben continued building Yaggy Road Roasting Company while remaining rooted in the Valparaiso community.
Over time, their mission expanded far beyond simply roasting coffee. Through direct relationships with farmers and producers across Central and South America, they built partnerships centered on transparency, sustainability, and mutual investment. Rather than viewing coffee as a commodity, they began telling the stories behind each bag, highlighting the farmers, families, and communities growing the coffee they serve.
Though neither followed a traditional ministry path, Ben and Walker’s theological education continues to shape their work in unexpected ways. Both see connections between their Valpo experience and the values that guide their business today: ethical leadership, meaningful relationships, hospitality, and care for communities both locally and globally.
In 2023, those values found a physical home when The Press opened in downtown Valparaiso. The bookstore, founded by Ben’s parents, combined naturally with Walker and Ben’s growing coffee business. Together, the space became more than a café or bookstore; it became a community gathering place rooted in conversation, creativity, and connection.
Today, Yaggy Road Roasting Company continues to grow, with coffee now served in cafés and restaurants beyond Northwest Indiana. Despite that growth, Walker and Ben remain focused on the same purpose that first emerged in a Valpo dorm room years ago: bringing people together through thoughtful hospitality and helping others understand the stories, people, and care behind every cup of coffee.
For them, success has never been measured only by expansion or sales. Instead, it is found in the relationships built along the way with farmers across the world, with loyal customers in Valpo, and with the University community that helped transform an unlikely college hobby into a meaningful vocation.
