Ironclad Coffee Brings Innovation and Community Spirit to the Hill City
By: Emeri Glen | Photos By: Ashlee Glen
A series of happy clicks greet patrons as they walk into a green-filled room. The source of the clicking? Two Vestaboards above a bar featuring rotating jokes that flip every couple of minutes. Behind the bar, baristas wear crisp, black shirts and welcoming smiles as they ask coffee-seekers about their day, skillfully making espresso and other colorfully-named drinks. Excellence pervades Ryan and Kelly O’Rourke’s Ironclad Coffee.
The inspiration for the O’Rourke’s first Ironclad location in their hometown of Richmond began to take root when they lived for a time in Galway, Ireland.
“We started out with a hobby roaster…and I could see my husband Ryan was really getting into it,” Kelly said.
She explained that, when it came time to come back to the U.S., Ryan considered becoming a barber for a time but couldn’t pursue the idea due to an old football injury. And so, the O’Rourkes decided to lean into what they had already found a small amount of success in: Roasting beans.
This dynamic duo started small, roasting their own beans—purchased from farms that benefit their communities, were sustainable, and were dedicated to treating their workers well—and selling to local coffee shops, but found that the feedback regarding quality was inconsistent. Determined to showcase the best that their beans had to offer, the O’Rourkes upgraded their roastery to a café. Seven years later, two coffee shop locations in Richmond were followed by Lynchburg’s new addition, which has decidedly made its mark on the Candler’s Mountain area.
The carefully curated atmosphere of the cafe is classy, with gold accents, jazz playing in the background, and a grand piano sitting in the center of the space. The O’Rourkes’ business has come a long way from its beginnings in Ireland, but they still pay homage to their roots. In fact, you can find traces of these ties in one of their drinks, the Connemara Cappuccino.
The drink is smoked on the counter using real peat shipped from Ireland.
“It’s very nostalgic, because [peat] is what we burned in our little house,” Kelly said.
In addition to the Connemara, the café boasts a pomegranate and lime espresso tonic and browned butter chocolate chip cookie milk latte. Their bakery has a diverse menu, including consistent classics and more experimental items, all of which you can watch being made over the open bar.
Kelly noted that this layout choice was a departure from their other locations, saying “It’s incredibly rare to go into a shop and have everything being made from scratch.
We wanted to make sure that people knew that this is what was happening.”
Part of the O’Rourkes’ dedication to excellence is their desire to partner with the Lynchburg community. They use Homestead Creamery milk (which is very low in lactose) and desire to continue to foster an environment that makes all ages feel welcome and special. During “Tiny Tuesdays,” kids five and under receive a little packet with craft supplies, a “Babyccino” (steamed milk), and a muffin with the purchase of mom or dad’s drink. They also plan to have live jazz events in the future.
To learn more about the O’Rourkes and their Lynchburg location, visit ironcladcoffee.com.
