Guides
Coffee for your business: how to choose a roaster or supplier
A café, a restaurant, an office and a shop all need the same things from a coffee supplier: a good product, the same every week, delivered on time. This guide explains what to settle before you start looking, what to compare and where to find roasters and suppliers in the directory.
What to settle before you look
- How much coffee you use in a week or a month, even as an estimate.
- Whether you need whole bean or ground, and for which method: espresso, filter or both.
- What price per kilo your own selling prices can carry.
- Whether you want to sell the coffee under the roaster’s brand or your own.
- How often you can take deliveries and where you will store the coffee.
With those answers a supplier can give you a real quote and you can compare like with like.
Who to buy from
- Roasters
- They buy green coffee, roast it and sell it by the kilo to businesses. This is the usual supplier for a café or a restaurant.
- Growers and cooperatives that roast
- Some sell their own coffee already roasted. You buy straight from origin, with a range limited to what they grow.
- Distributors
- They resell coffee from one or several brands, sometimes alongside other supplies. They solve delivery; someone else roasts the coffee.
Where roasters sit in this directory
The directory classifies companies by their part in the coffee chain, not by what they sell to the public. Roasters and cafés are listed under the Buyers role, because they buy green coffee. If you are looking for someone to supply roasted coffee, start with Buyers.
Growers and cooperatives that sell their own roasted coffee are listed under Sellers. In either listing, the “Form” filter set to “Roasted” narrows the list to the companies whose listing says so.
What to compare between suppliers
- Freshness
- The bag should show the roast date, and deliveries should be frequent enough that you never build up old coffee.
- Consistency
- The coffee should taste the same order after order. Ask how they handle the change of crop.
- Origin
- Which state, region or farm the coffee comes from, and whether they can tell you for each lot.
- Roast
- The profile should suit your brewing method and what your customers expect.
- Terms
- Price per kilo, minimum order, shipping cost, payment terms and invoicing.
- Service
- Some roasters offer training or help with equipment. Ask whether it is included and in exchange for what.
Questions for the first conversation
- Can I try the coffee before I commit? Ask for a sample or a small first order.
- Which day do you roast and how long does an order take to arrive?
- What is the minimum order, and what happens in a month when I need less?
- Does the price hold through the year or change with the harvest?
- What happens if a batch arrives with a defect?
- Can you deliver the coffee under my brand, if I have one?
Searching by state
The directory is organised by state, not by city. If your business is in a large city, open the buyers listing for your state; the ones for several states with large cities are below. A supplier in another state can serve you too, because roasted coffee ships by parcel without difficulty: what changes is the shipping time and cost.
Listings in the directory are researched from public sources or registered by the company itself. Only some carry the “Verified” badge, which is granted when a company claims its listing and submits evidence. Treat any listing without that badge as a starting point and confirm the details with the company.
Where to look in the directory
The directory listings that go with this guide.
Frequently asked questions
Why are roasters listed as buyers in the directory?
Because the directory classifies each company by its part in the coffee chain, and a roaster or a café buys green coffee from growers, cooperatives or exporters. For a business looking for roasted coffee, that is the listing where its suppliers are.
Is a roaster in my city better than one in a growing region?
It depends on what you value. A nearby one delivers faster and is easier to visit. One in a growing region may be closer to where the coffee comes from. Compare samples from both, with shipping cost included.
Can I sell coffee under my own brand?
Some roasters roast and pack for other businesses’ brands. Not all of them do, nor at any volume, so ask at first contact.
How do I contact a company in the directory?
Through the form on its listing. If the company has not claimed its listing yet, it is not notified of your message; in that case also use the contact channels the listing publishes.