Hello 2026 — Here’s What We’re Building at Tracer

I love the beginning of a new year. It feels like a reset… like I get to breathe deeper and build with intention again.

For Tracer, 2026 is one of those years where the things I’ve been dreaming about start becoming real. Not just “ideas on paper” real — but you can actually walk in, smell the coffee roasting, taste it, and be part of it real.

So I wanted to write my first blog of the year as a simple update: what I’m working on, what I’m excited about, and what I’m hoping Tracer becomes this year.

The Tracer Roaster Experience (this one makes me so happy)

I’m launching something I’ve wanted to do for a while: the Tracer Roaster Experience.

It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what roasting actually is — not just “beans go in, coffee comes out.” You’ll be able to watch the roast process, ask questions, and then we’ll do tastings and flights so you can taste the differences for yourself.

This is for:

• the coffee nerds (I see you 🤝)

• the curious people who want to understand what they’re drinking

• and honestly anyone who wants an experience that feels different than the usual “grab and go”

Roasting is where coffee becomes what it’s going to be — sweetness, body, aroma… all of it. And once you see it happen, you’ll taste coffee differently forever.

The Tracer Pilot Café Experience at the Harbor Entrepreneur Center (Mount Pleasant)

I’m also building out the Tracer Pilot Café Experience inside the Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Mount Pleasant.

I keep calling it “pilot” because it’s my chance to serve people consistently, test ideas, learn fast, and refine what Tracer is going to feel like — with real feedback and real community around it.

You’ll see things like:

• rotating coffees and limited drops

• tasting flights and fun specials

• the Tracer vibe taking shape in real time
  

This space feels really aligned for me because it’s surrounded by builders — entrepreneurs and creatives building something from scratch. That’s what I’m doing too, and I love the energy of doing it in a place like that.

The Tracer Coffee Bar at the Live Oak Hotel (Downtown Charleston) — coming soon

And then there’s the big one… downtown Charleston.

I’m working toward the Tracer Coffee Bar at the Live Oak Hotel, and I’m genuinely so excited about it. It’s one of those projects that feels like a “wait… I’m really doing this” moment.

To me, a hotel coffee bar isn’t just coffee. It’s the first sip of someone’s day. It’s the “I need something good before I deal with life” moment. It’s the place someone wanders down half-awake… and leaves happier.

My goal is for it to feel like Tracer:intentional, high quality, warm, and story-driven.

What I’m hoping for in 2026

More than anything, I want Tracer to become something you feel connected to.

Not just “good coffee,” but:

• a place you come back to

• a place you bring a friend

• a place where you taste something and go, “wait… what is that note?”

• a place where the people behind the coffee actually feel real

I’m building this year with a lot of care. Slowly, on purpose. And I’m grateful to everyone

who’s been following along, supporting, sharing, showing up, or even just cheering quietly from the sidelines.

If you’re here — you’re part of it.

I’ll share dates and details soon (especially for the Roaster Experience), and I can’t wait to have you in the space.

Cheers to 2026.

Let’s make it a good one.

— Gina