About Us

Oval Coffee Roasters is a New York–based coffee company rooted in precision, creativity, and hospitality. We roast in the Bronx and build connections across retail, events, and collaborations in fashion, design, and hospitality. From nationwide grocery distribution to intimate pop-ups, our mission is to elevate everyday coffee while keeping it approachable and thoughtful.

Christopher Alspach, Co-founder & Director of Coffee

Chris has been roasting coffee since 2007, with more than 16,000 batches under his belt. He trained in Brooklyn with a third-generation Italian roaster before co-founding Upper Left Roasters in Portland, OR, a company that grew into one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading coffee brands. He launched Oval in 2023, bringing his focus on craft, design, and meaningful hospitality to New York City.

Andrew Itzkowitz, Co-founder & Managing Partner

Andrew’s journey in specialty foods began over 20 years ago at his family’s bakery, where he helped launch one of the first gluten-free baked goods lines—including classic European-inspired treats like Rainbow Cookies, Black & Whites, and Ring Tings, his father’s gluten-free take on the Ring Ding. The entrepreneurship learned there—combined with his parents’ passion for artisanal food—sparked a career in consumer packaged goods.

He went on to guide Bonne Maman and Yogi Tea in both U.S. and Canadian retail and foodservice growth, later helping scale emerging brands like Hooray Foods and MyForest Foods. In 2025, Andrew joined Oval to merge his entrepreneurial roots with Christopher’s roasting expertise, building a nationally distributed brand grounded in creativity, hospitality, and intention.