Mark had a retirement dream. Friends and former coworkers sharing a great cup of coffee on his acreage in rural Nebraska. This was a vision that this railroad/scrap loving steelworker had, as he looked into future retirement after 45 plus years. Then he thought, even better, why not learn the craft of roasting green coffee beans himself, in flavorful small batch style. Consequently, in 2023, Red Lantern Roasters was born.