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Using social responsibility and sustainable choices to maintain a competitive coffee company
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Socio that's right now co-founder of what are steep coffees and he's thank you for being made you very much -- still having.
-- There's thousands.
It seems of call different types of coffee coffee places coffee everything right I'm not the only coffee freak out there that -- would make you into this business.
Well we entered this business about sixteen years ago my partner and I we had debt to espresso bars in San Francisco.
And that we sold those saying we started resting -- just give us an -- in a garage and according Madera California but why -- because you and because really you know what I always -- -- -- -- company I want it to be a CEO I -- to have you know my destiny in my own hands Brooke is my business partner and is the executive chef.
She's a CoffeeGeek she's travel all of the world's has an amazing -- -- she had something to share so we we started those two coffee bars and we had -- that we're buying from knowing would tell us anything.
And we said you know we're going to going to wholesale roasting.
And we're gonna tell people about the farmers and be very transparent about the product and we've done that.
So it's it's markets as the coffee break there's a big story -- you guys are considered a third wave coffee what does that mean -- -- -- let me frame it this way quality and sustainability.
Is what drives equator everything that we do.
We think about the impact on the farmers who grow our coffee to customers -- buyer coffee and on the planet.
We have an intense loyal following for the last sixteen years of chefs and others who are very serious about coffee.
So what we've done is we've taken those issues and initiatives and could create a very sustainable company being a third wave company meaning that sixteen years the only started in that garage two years later.
Brooke was down in Guatemala working with one of our farms was -- first relationship coffee.
That's something a third wave coffee company is it's about the relationships that origin with your farmers and that's what we've done we've done micro credit loans with one of our farms and Nicaragua.
Ecuador Panama Guatemala actually get money so they can grab belittling or about loaning them yes it's another relationship -- the quality so we as one of the many roasters and you see here in New York it's very very competitive and throughout.
And throughout the country.
So what's important for us is to have that relationship with those farmers in origin.
And the objective is to give them money so they can reinvest into their farms so we can get a quality product for our customers.
It's really and it helps that's perhaps a little of course except capital to do it still doesn't where does that come from.
Well you know we've built this business over the last sixteen years so it's been very measured growth and we have those funds -- set this aside that's part of being a sustainable business.
It's about.
The trust that you have to have with -- former north for -- to sell to some of the top -- that we work with.
We have to have that supply would have to have a guarantees -- it's like it's it's all about the relationship.
Arguably is -- Bethany and -- -- absolutely and it helps us differentiate yourself -- very crowded market just to people who know what took about Thomas -- bullish on bakery for say -- little lumpy isn't.
But it's not it anywhere.
Has your old to be everywhere and because you are in lots of places what's what's great about owning your own business you can decide -- you wanna work with not only at the farm side but also on the customers and we -- -- work with customers who appreciate.
What we do that appreciate the impact of what we think about that's -- the best with the definition of sustainability is.
But we think about what her decision making you know our decisions how many affecting the farmer how they affect their customers and how -- they affecting the planet.
The customers that we work with are concerned about that they care about that they love that -- roasting on an energy efficient restaurant they love that we're doing micro credit loans.
They love that we have a form in Panama and the they love that we understand.
What's going on in origin and the biggest trend today that we're seeing.
Is this sustainable food movement.
Right right people care about you know in a frantic flavor in their foods and the same thing is coming over to coffee.
From farm to cup people care about that connection and we're seeing people.
That are willing to pay a little bit more from that high grade and you could also see how people are also kind of -- Sick -- the big guys.
Moving on yeah now you just open though -- retail locations you just -- and we're just governor first branded -- story that's going fantastic we had -- average of Branson in their last weekend decaf nonfat latte which is great that is a lot of great people that go through that airport it's a leed certified airport terminal -- -- -- -- to where they've got virgin.
-- and a lot of says sustainable food companies we -- able to get in there because we are green business that was very important to the airport is that knows the goal to.
More retail.
Yeah -- -- goal is to really.
Come up with the second branded store it's very important to be able to show your customers which you can do the movement now is to handcrafted coffee.
You know to be able to take a single origin coffee that has the story we're actually sat and gone to nicaraguans -- across the table from our farmers have brought this coffee back -- grocery have -- -- An -- -- serving -- -- one -- time at the airport.
There's the story behind that people love that connection.
