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Permalink Reply by Joshua Boyt on May 23, 2010 at 1:55pm

Hey Chris,

You pose a very good question. The best answer would definitely depend on what kind of relationship you want to have with your roaster.
There are so many amazing roasters in the market today that are doing a phenomenal job of showcasing a coffee's unique characteristics. So if you are looking to see the roaster as more of a vendor to you than a business partner you could ultimately use as many coffees from as many roasters as you like. Especially if you want to use the momentum and brand recognition of well known industry roasters. Billy Wilson does a great job of this at Barista.
There are definite benefits to finding one roaster that you can partner with on all levels.
1) Knowing they are your one partner for coffee they will/should be more willing to invest in your business development and growth. Your roaster truly should work with you on all levels.
2) It is good to come to a committed understanding on a relational level with your roaster partner first. That way if you want to add specific coffees or move any direction with your offerings you have already established a partnership that will help you accomplish your common goals because they benefit both companies vision for success.

Also if you have not yet looked into offering more direct trade/relationship purchased coffees Vs. Fair Trade please look into it. I have had a great opportunity over the last couple of years to be a part of the oneharvestproject.com developed in partnership with Sustainable Harvest in Portland. I visited one of our partner farms in Costa Rica this year and my life was changed.

Hope these thoughts help!

These are things I find to be urgently important in making an impact in our global economy and I applaud you for your decisions to choose sustainability.

Its more than a job, its my life.
Joshua

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Permalink Reply by Ronnie P. on May 24, 2010 at 1:37pm

As both a roaster and a barista, I would say that I mostly agree with what Chris said. I would also add that most exclusivity agreements are short-term and can save you money.

However, I would advise you to always keep trying new roasters (on the West Coast you might want to check out Stumptown, Coffee Klatch, Intelligentsia LA- oh so many!) There are no real disadvantages in having multiple roasters in a shop, and it can take a long time before you find one who's really right for your shop. It's a lot like a relationship - exclusivity can be encouraging as well as a little too comfortable for your roaster. I've seen the latter in several shops, unfortunately. Competition can be healthy, and every good roaster has something to offer that your customers may prefer.

It never hurts to have a good second blend or single-origin espresso in another hopper for regulars who want to taste a more/less citrus/chocolate/nutty/whatever double-shot than they get every single day. Then, instead of "Do I really want espresso today?" becomes "Do I want Tony's Espresso or Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira from Ecco Caffe?"

It also never hurts to have an airpot of some local super-micro-roaster who's sporting quality stuff (and there's one somewhere around you - trust me). What seems to you like a measly 10-15 pounds per week of business may just help him/her on their way to being the next top-notch roaster, and you could be the first place to ever carry it. Imagine having THAT kind of roaster relationship!

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