A Central Valley coffee chain known for air-roasting its beans is setting up shop on Sunrise Boulevard in Rancho Cordova, marking its first foray into the Sacramento market. Rare Earth Coffee will open the doors of its new drive-thru location at 2348 Sunrise Blvd. with a soft opening on September 25, followed by a grand opening on October 3.
The Clovis-born brand is the work of owner Daniel Herrera, who runs the new Rancho Cordova shop after previously opening and managing Rare Earth's Los Banos location, according to the Sacramento Bee. Herrera, a former Dutch Bros barista who also taught middle school history before leaving the classroom to open the Rancho Cordova coffee shop, told the paper that Sacramento had become a natural growth target and called the opportunity to land in the area unexpected but amazing.
Rare Earth's calling card is its air-roasting process, in which a hot air stream suspends the coffee beans rather than letting them tumble against the hot metal walls of a conventional drum roaster. That contact with hot cylinder walls in traditional roasting can scorch the beans, the Sacramento Bee reports, while Rare Earth's method is designed to remove bitterness and give the coffee a smoother taste. The underlying fluid-bed technique dates back decades: the modern hot-air roasting method was patented in 1976 by chemical engineer Michael Sivetz, who devised a system using high-velocity heated air to float and roast green coffee beans without touching hot metal, according to Barista Hustle. In fluid-bed roasting, the upward airflow also continuously lifts and removes chaff — the papery skin on each bean — before it can burn, which is part of why the method avoids the smoky or bitter notes associated with drum roasting, per CoffeeTec.
A Chain With Central Valley Roots and a Recent Setback
Rare Earth Roastery was founded in 2014 by Ernie Bea and Trevor Bea, and the company operated out of a Clovis roastery until it closed in 2025. Rare Earth Coffee continued operating in Los Banos and Lemoore after the Clovis roastery shut down, the Sacramento Bee reports. The company's footprint includes California's Central Valley locations, including Los Banos and Lemoore, the Sacramento Bee reports.
A local business listing on Atly identifies Coffee Nation near the Sunrise Boulevard commercial strip. Herrera said he was inspired to get into the coffee business by the variety of coffee shops he saw in Santa Cruz, per the Bee's report.
Free Drinks, Tote Bags, and a Grass-Roots Rollout
Ahead of its opening, Rare Earth Coffee is preparing for its Rancho Cordova launch. Rare Earth Coffee will give away free small drinks during the September 25 soft opening, and customers who buy a large drink at the October 3 grand opening will receive a free tote bag, per the Bee's reporting. Operating hours for the new location have not yet been finalized, though Rare Earth's other shops typically run from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.
Beyond coffee, the menu includes matcha, smoothies, iced teas, refreshers, chai, and specialty energy drinks, the Sacramento Bee reports. The expansion into Rancho Cordova reflects Rare Earth Coffee's broader push to grow beyond its Central Valley base, the company having been looking to expand its footprint.
Landing Near One of the County's Wealthiest Enclaves
The new shop sits near Gold River, an unincorporated community bordering Rancho Cordova that recorded a median family income of $141,399 in 2021 Census data — the highest of any community in Sacramento County, according to Wikipedia. Sunrise Boulevard is the commercial corridor where the new shop is located.
New hires will also be entering a coffee shop job market shaped by California's fast-food wage law. Under Assembly Bill 1228, which took effect in April 2024, covered fast-food restaurant employees — including those at limited-service restaurants that are part of a chain with at least 60 establishments nationwide and meet other criteria — must be paid at least $20 an hour, with oversight from a state Fast Food Council, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. The new Rancho Cordova store will add barista jobs.
