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Dayton’s Not Dead: Twisted River Coffee Roasters

Twisted River Coffee | Photo by Grace Ramsdell | The Wright State Guardian

Twisted River Coffee | Photo by Grace Ramsdell | The Wright State Guardian


Twisted River Coffee Roasters is a family-owned, small-batch coffee roaster based in Dayton, OH, bringing people together one cup of coffee at a time. 

An unpretentious approach 

In 2015, Dan Clayton started Twisted River Coffee after almost 20 years in the coffee business.  Through his experience, Clayton was provided with unique opportunities and friendships which gave him a passion for coffee he wished to share with the community. 

“I just fell in love with it, I’ve met so many interesting people through coffee,” Clayton said. “That’s what inspires me to this day…reaching out to people, connecting with people all over a cup of coffee still amazes me.”  

Using coffee to bring people together is what drives Twisted River. The Head Roaster at Twisted River, Dan’s son Owen Clayton, takes pride in the business’s emphasis on coffee’s social aspects.  

“There’s been a trend towards pretentiousness in coffee and that’s not what we’re about,” Owen said. “We want to be able to provide good coffee for an affordable price and use coffee to bring people together.” 

A family business 

The unifying potential of coffee has carried over into the Clayton family as they run Twisted River. Dan and Owen Clayton are a father-son duo carrying out business operations together, along with the help of other family members and close friends. 

Embarking on this experience together has strengthened the Clayton’s family bond by giving them a better understanding of each other, on top of something tangible they can all feel pride in knowing they helped create. 

“I don’t think I would have the passion for coffee that I have without his [Dan Clayton’s] passion for coffee,” Owen Clayton said. “It’s really infectious and I’m excited to see where this business goes and to help carry it into the future.” 

Community involvement 

Twisted River is a small batch coffee roaster, meaning they source coffee beans from around the world, roast them in batches of about 25 lbs., then sell their roasts wholesale or by the pound. As of now, Twisted River does not have a cafe or coffee shop of their own, aside from their roasting facility.   

The business initially gained exposure through customer interactions at local farmer’s markets.  This allowed them to get to know members of the community, as well as connect with other local vendors. Since then, Twisted River has come to utilize other small businesses throughout the Dayton area to carry and sell their products. 

“There’s a tight-knit community with small business owners,” Dan Clayton said. 

This fact was made evident throughout the coronavirus pandemic as well.  To promote fellow business owners, many local businesses took to social media to provide members of the community with information on how and where to safely shop local. 

Dan Clayton feels this aspect of the small business community comes from an overarching drive to see Dayton succeed. Beyond the pandemic, Dayton has undergone several hardships which have tested the resiliency of the community. Small businesses, like Twisted River, are a reminder that, in spite of everything, Dayton still has the potential to thrive.  

“There’s a grittiness to Dayton,” says Dan Clayton. “No matter what hits us, you can’t bring us down.” 

For more information on Twisted River Coffee Roasters and where to find their products visit https://www.twistedrivercoffeeroaster.com/  


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