Interview by Mia Song
MIA: How did you first get into coffee? How old were you?
WHITNEY: My coffee origin story starts when I was 16. I got my first job at Starbucks—like many baristas do—and just fell in love with coffee and the connections around it. Eventually I moved to a small roaster in Gettysburg, Bantam Coffee Roasters. I was there for a couple of years, working as a barista and managing their two coffee trucks. I loved the community outreach side of that job.
I needed a change of pace, so I moved to Harrisburg in January 2023 and started at Little Amps that March. I worked behind the bar for about nine months before transitioning into roasting part-time under our previous head roaster, Andy. He taught me everything—roasting, sourcing, all of it. And earlier this year, 2025, I stepped into the head roaster role.
MIA: That’s wild. Those are huge leaps.
WHITNEY: It really is crazy.
MIA: And with every leap, you were getting deeper into the craft—into sourcing, roasting, the whole back end of coffee.
WHITNEY: Exactly. At Bantam, I realized I wanted to make a career out of this and I don't really see myself doing anything else that brings me this much joy and still connects me to the community.
MIA: What do you think you’d want to be doing in coffee in the next decade?
WHITNEY: I’ve thought about that a little. I’m really interested in the importing side—getting deeper into the farms, the origins, and the people behind our coffees. When I’m writing up info for new coffees, I love geeking out about what each farm is doing and what makes them unique. I could see myself moving in that direction someday.
MIA: I can’t wait for you to go on your first origin trip—it’ll be life changing. Let’s talk about sourcing and roasting now. How do you decide on roast profiles, especially based on origin?
WHITNEY: Throughout the year, we get lists of available coffees from our importers—Osito in Lancaster and Coffee Quest in Colombia. We sample roast them, let them rest for a few days, and then cup everything. From cupping, we decide which coffees speak to us and what we want to bring to our customers and wholesale partners.
Once we contract the bags, we start with a simple roast based on the coffee’s origin and hemisphere. If it’s from a place we already roast from, we’ll reference our existing profiles and start there. Then we bring it back to the cupping table. Sometimes it takes one or two tweaks—sometimes more—but the goal is always the same: develop the profile enough to highlight its best characteristics without under or over developing it.
We use a lot of context clues from previous coffees to figure out how to enhance each new one.
MIA: Do you feel like roasting is more philosophy or science?
WHITNEY: Definitely science. We roast mostly medium because it lets us pull out the flavors we want. Even letting a roast go an extra five seconds—it won’t be drastic, but you’ll taste the difference.
MIA: But when it comes to deciding what the “best” flavor is—do you think that’s subjective?
WHITNEY: Totally. It really comes down to the drinker. Some people love dark, bitter coffee. Here at Little Amps, we love naturals, anaerobics, funkier coffees with fruit and acidity. That’s our taste. Not everyone will love that, and that’s okay.
MIA: Yeah, that’s what I love about coffee. It’s subjective.
WHITNEY: Exactly. Everyone’s palate is different. There’s no right answer.
MIA: Outside of coffee, what do you like to spend your time on?
WHITNEY: I’m a homebody. I’m a mom to three cats—they’re my pride and joy—and my partner Ivan. I’m also big into fiber arts. I knit, crochet, and sew. And then my other creative outlets are of course when you first see me, you see my hair. I, for funsies, do photo shoots with one of my best friends, Emmett Palmer. Exploring that visual creative side is something we do together for fun.
I also bake and cook a lot. I make a mean tiramisu and tres leches cake.
MIA: Yes, she does.
WHITNEY: I do, I do.
MIA: When you’re home with the cats and doing fiber arts, what are you watching or listening to?
WHITNEY: It’s a mix. I usually have music on in the background—lately it’s been Ichiko Aoba. Very whimsical, very calming. I also watch creators on YouTube, especially people doing fiber arts. Sydney Graham is my favorite lately; she’s super down to earth and sweet. And then I watch Gilmore Girls just as, like a brain rot show.
MIA: Last question: what would you say is the most rewarding part of your job
WHITNEY: Honestly? Bringing exceptional coffee to our customers and wholesale partners. Hearing how people enjoy the coffee and how they prepare it at home. After Andy left, several people told me the quality was still there and that I was doing the coffees justice. That meant a lot. I definitely deal with imposter syndrome—like, am I actually doing this right?—but hearing that feedback has been so reassuring.
MIA: Well, thank you, Whitney. You’re definitely doing an amazing job and we love and appreciate you at Little Amps! So happy to have you as our head roaster.
Latte Art by Whitney!
