Regulator Roasting Company — Restaurant in East Peoria

Caffeine is not a good way to regulate your heart rate.

Having driven by Regulator Roasting Company a million times since they opened, it was only natural for them to expand over to the other side of the building when the space came open. I’m not sure the exact date of them serving coffee to the public (that wasn’t just beans in a bag) but I knew I would have to try it out sooner rather than later and that day finally came.

Maria and I rolled in at around 10am and were greeted by the owner, who was extremely friendly and even more extremely knowledgeable about coffee and all the nuances of it. I’ll admit that I know nothing about coffee except that I like drinking it. So, it was cool to hear Maria and the owner talk about espressos and various other aspects to drinks that I never think about.

Anywho, I ordered an Americano and the owner asked how strong I wanted it. I told him to surprise me. Maria ordered a macchiato and ended up getting some espresso on the side to boost it up as she was feeling pretty tired. I picked up the tab for us and just for our two drinks, it was only $7 and change. Our drinks were $3 a piece and with her flavoring, that was only $0.50. I haven’t seen prices this cheap since maybe around the time I started visiting coffeehouses. Granted the cup was maybe only 12-15 ounces and there seems to be the one size… it’s still a heck of a deal.

The interior was open and sparse. It could accommodate maybe 7-10 people before it felt crowded. But with the limited parking space that’s shared a bit with the neighboring building, that’s probably for the best. There wasn’t too much foot traffic despite the incredible weather but I think that’ll change once the warm weather kicks in for the season.

At the time of my visit, the roast master admitted that he is still tweaking his drinks so if you make multiple trips, you may find your drink of choice has changed subtly here and there. Not that someone like me would notice the nuances!

If you need a cheap caffeine hit and want to avoid the big names in coffee, give Regulator’s a shot. I hope this one does gangbusters as East Peoria is severely lacking a hometown...

The Regulator Roasting Co. is a small location located at the corner of East Washington Rd. and Springfield Rd. in East Peoria, IL. When you enter you will see a counter and the roasting machine right there to be seen. Because of government overreach using Covid-19 as an excuse, seating isn't available yet, but the plans are in place to have seating eventually. David, the owner, is easy to talk to and passionate about coffee in general and especially his products. He offers various roasted blends of coffee and a nice variety of teas as well. He made a pour over batch of the coffee we selected and it was excellent. My wife is usually an iced coffee girl, but even she very much enjoyed the hot coffee we tried. My wife and I very much enjoyed our visit to Regulator Roasting Company and highly recommend you stop in...

8-16-25 OK, if you're in the mood for Amazing coffee, get in here! I spotted this coffee shop driving through the neighborhood on business. Sent my wife a text to let her know about it. She immediately said "bring me some!" Brought a hot and cold version of the Cortado to my wife. She tried each drink and said "Oh my Gawd!" "You're going to have to go get more soon!" 😁 We will definitely be getting more soon! We have traveled the country over 10 years and have tried many many independent coffee shops in many states around the country and let me tell you that this place serves up some of the best we've had! No joke! The service is great! The prices are great! The coffee is 👍👏🤤. The atmosphere is very inviting! Seating for 16 or so. We...