Over the last two decades, awareness of specialty coffee has taken the world by storm. Once a casual beverage consumed with very little thought, it has developed into a drink that stands for more than just a vehicle for caffeine.
From the days of seafoam cappuccinos, through the slow movement, and back to an instant campaign, specialty coffee trends are perpetually moving. Akin to activities with locally sourced food, craft beer brewing, artisanal baking, and small-scale urban farming, local coffee roasting companies are becoming the status quo. A locally roasted coffee reduces problems with maintaining freshness and the carbon footprint associated with the transportation of coffee. The movement is part of a general shift away from mass-produced foods and toward a more distinctive, small-scale food and beverage production. The consumer is looking for coffee with a story from a coffee company that is discernibly more refined and more socially conscious than what the large chains offer. They want ethical coffee that gets responsibly sourced, locally roasted, and served professionally. In step with this, there is a growing demand for green coffee beans of higher quality, unique varietals, different processing methods, and micro-lots. Over the years, consumers who have become accustomed to the notion of $5.00 “coffee” drinks pioneered by larger chains beginning in the 1990s are now gravitating to those drinks being more healthier, sustainable, and more refined. The customers have grown beyond the urban, educated, aware, woke crowd and are making their way into our mom’s kitchen. This conscious consumer will invest in higher quality products that are socially responsible, environmentally friendly, traceable and, just generally, are perceived to have been crafted with more care. Once a taste is indoctrinated and paired with idea of helping a small part the world with their purchase, expectation of higher quality follows. Consumers are inclined toward the movement’s values and culture, they stay for the coffee, and they are unlikely to reverse course.
With this shift in demand, coffee roasters have been evolving beyond traditional labels for coffees such as “organic” and “fair trade and have moved to source coffee via “direct-relationship,” “direct-trade,” or other relationship models. Because of the requisite quantities, expenses, logistical challenges, and risks associated with moving coffee by direct trade, many roasters who would otherwise have an interest in this sort of access are effectively locked out. Direct-Relationship is appealing because of the transparency in the supply chain and the ability to connect with producers in a way that is manageable for roasters while still meeting sourcing and quality standards.
The mission has been set: know where your food comes from and make it tasty. Individuals and organizations that can help “make coffee better” will continue to emerge as specialty coffee continues to flow through America. Coming soon to a coffee shop near you!