What is your position in the coffee industry?

coffee enthusiast, industry professional, supplier

Where are you located? ( City and Country )

Seattle, WA

How many years have you been in the industry?

16 years

If you are a barista or shop, are you interested in a barista exchange with another coffee shop/barista?

no

About Me:

Espresso Supply, Inc. is dedicated to providing the highest quality products and customer service to espresso establishments.

About My Company:

History of Espresso Supply

Espresso Supply, Inc. was founded in 1993 with one purpose in mind; to provide smallwares to the specialty coffee industry. The word smallwares refers to the tools and accessories used in coffee shops to prepare coffee beverages and organize work spaces. During the past 14 years, Espresso Supply has been an integral part in the rapid growth of the specialty coffee industry.

In the beginning, it was possible for Espresso Supply to service the needs of the specialty coffee industry by operating out of the President and Founder’s home basement, where she sold a selection of 33 products. As time went on, the demand for coffee began to explode. This was apparent in the boom of new Starbucks stores, starting with 36 Starbucks locations in 1989 and building to 1,040 stores worldwide in 2006. Entrepreneurs began to look at specialty coffee as a serious source of revenue, not only in traditional coffee shops, but as an addition to existing businesses, such as bookstores or movie theaters.

The increase in Espresso Supply customers has mirrored the growth of the specialty coffee industry. In their 14 years of operation, they have gone from 56 customers to well above 5,500. They currently have 14 staff members responsible for processing, packaging and shipping orders all over the world. Their product offerings have increased as well, and their warehouse is now stocked with over 800 products.

Today, specialty coffee is readily available in a variety of locations, such as grocery store chains, churches and hospitals. For many Americans, coffee has become a daily routine, sometimes stopping twice a day for coffee. Coffee has become pervasive in our society, appearing in media outlets, including movies and television. The heightened profile of espresso throughout the United States has contributed to increasing the market for American style coffee beverages internationally. Specialty coffee has become a hallmark for American coffee today.

Espresso Supply began serving the specialty coffee industry primarily as a reseller, purchasing products from manufacturers and selling to end users via catalog and internet sales. Wanting to become further involved in the specialty coffee industry, Espresso Supply launched their own line of high quality smallwares, called Rattleware, in 2006. The impetus for creating their own brand came from their experience working with coffee smallwares and witnessing the evolution of products being adapted from existing barware and restaurant supplies. Espresso Supply wanted to make a bigger difference in the world of smallwares by introducing innovative new products that would further increase productivity in working coffee shops.

Drawing on their experience, Espresso Supply has been able to design, develop and manufacture a number of key, high demand products for use within this growing market segment. These products include both traditional tools with significant design enhancements, as well as original offerings to the market.

Although Espresso Supply is known as a one-stop-shop for cafes, they have chosen not to carry coffee beans, espresso machines, or coffee brewing equipment. This enables them not only to focus on their main passion, smallwares, but also allows them to form strategic alliances with companies involved in these other areas of the industry, establishing a cooperative rather than competitive relationship with a broad base of industry suppliers.

Espresso Supply’s vision is to be the global leader in specialty coffee smallwares, respected for honest and fair business practices, dynamic product development, employee and customer satisfaction and contribution to the industry. They will continue with the same dedication they have had for the past 14 years, working to improve the world of specialty coffee.

What is your favorite thing about the coffee industry?

All of the fabulous Coffee Shops and Cafes!

Website:

http://www.espressosupply.com