We Are Lekko
Our Philosophy
Lekko was born from a deep-rooted love for coffee and the belief that hard work and a fair paycheck are the basis of a great product and company.
We take a scientific approach to coffee production so that you can relax with a cup of amazing coffee. Our commitment to providing a living wage—from the farmers to the barista serving your morning cup—ensures that the product you receive is treated with respect at every step.
Our Process
We roast on a small Arc Roaster using beans sourced from importers who ensure equitable pay across the board. We are able to combine our love of craft coffee with data accumulation and a talented team to bring you the best coffee in Cleveland.
What does data have to do with coffee, you say? Thanks to diligent note-taking and some really cool software, we track all the data points needed to keep our coffee tasting consistently great—from bean density to roast profiles to moisture content—batch after batch.
We geek out over the details so that all you have to think about when taking a sip of Lekko Coffee is how great it tastes.
Our Story
Lekko has everything to do with a musician’s pursuit for perfection. Early in his music career, French horn player Matt Ashton started working as a barista. “It was a job I could do in the early mornings while still having time for practice and auditions and keep my evenings free for gigs,” he says.
It wasn’t long before Matt became obsessed with every facet of craft coffeemaking. He found himself studying coffee the way he studied music—digging into every detail of coffee-making at work and in his spare time, much like he used to stuff himself into a practice room for hours upon hours. His two loves have a few things in common, after all. “Music and coffee are generally the best part of somebody’s day,” Matt says. They both have the potential to lift your mood or just pump you up for the day ahead.
As owner of Lekko Coffee, Matt does more coffee roasting than concerto playing these days, but the patience and persistence he honed as a musician drive him to fine-tune details that others would leave well enough alone. “Cleveland has the best orchestra in the country, if not the world, and a top tier art museum.” he says. “I think we should have the best coffee, too.”
Our Team
Matt Ashton
Matt is Lekko Coffee’s owner and founder. He worked for Cleveland’s Solstice Coffee Roasters, Rising Star Coffee Roasters and Passenger’s Cafe before stepping out to start Lekko. He was raised in the Cleveland area and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in horn performance at Bowling Green University and Duquesne University, respectively. He now lives in the Kamm’s Corner neighborhood of Cleveland with his wife Laura and dog Simba. In his spare time, he enjoys playing pick-up basketball, roaming downtown to check out the latest restaurants and breweries and watching Cleveland sports.
Laura Ashton
Laura is an architect by day, Lekko Coffee taster by night and Matt’s partner in life and the pursuit of the perfect coffee. She met Matt in high school and first asked him out via a dry erase board message while on a marching band field trip; they have been together ever since. She is a registered architect in Ohio currently working as a project manager on affordable housing developments. She loves learning new things and has enjoyed jumping headfirst into craft coffee with Lekko, pitching in on everything from artistic direction to data management. In her down time, she enjoys experimenting with cooking projects and exploring Cleveland with Matt and Simba.
Simba
Meet Lekko Coffee’s company mascot and No. 1 hype dog. He loves napping, taking walks in the Metroparks and keeping Matt and Laura company during roasting sessions.