Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Infobox_Company
company_name = Stumptown Coffee Roasters
company_
parent =
company_type= Private
slogan =
foundation = 1999
location = Portland, Oregon
key_people = Duane Sorenson
industry =
num_employees =
revenue =
net_income =
products = Coffee
homepage = [http://www.stumptowncoffee.com www.stumptowncoffee.com]

Stumptown Coffee Roasters is an independent coffee roaster and retailer based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The chain's flagship cafe and roastery on SE 45th and Division opened in 1999, and three other cafes, a roastery and a tasting annex have since opened in Portland as well as two locations in Seattle.

Business model

The business practices and standards of quality of Stumptown Coffee Roasters have led to them being recognized as having "revolutionized the coffee business" and helped "refine coffee drinkers' palates" in Portland. [cite web | first = E. | last = Saelens | title = Stumptown presses on with attitude | publisher = Portland Business Journal | date= July 4, 2003 | url = http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2003/07/07/story3.html | accessdate = 2008-02-16] Founder Duane Sorenson and Stumptown Coffee Roasters have been credited [cite web | first = Zach | last = Dundas | title = Bean Town | publisher = Willamette Week | date = October 11, 2006 | url = http://www.wweek.com/editorial/3249/8078/ | accessdate = 2008-02-16 ] as being part of the so-called "Third Wave" of the coffee movement. [cite web | first = Trish R. | last = Skeie | title = Third Wave | publisher = Barista Magazine | date = April/May 2006 | url = http://www.baristamagazine.com/Issues/VolumeII/AprilMay06/aprilmay06-third.html | accessdate = 2008-02-16 ]

In pursuit of the best quality coffee, Sorenson spends considerable time visiting farms in person and is willing to pay high prices for coffee he deems worthy -- occasionally three or four times fair trade prices, he once set the record for highest price ever paid for coffee beans. [cite web | first = Anne Marie | last = DiStafano | title = Stumptown’s blend | publisher = The Portland Tribune | date = June 30, 2006 | url = http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=115110013977690800 | accessdate = 2008-02-16] [cite web | first = Kelly | last = Clarke | title = Unwrapped | publisher = Willamette Week | date = December 8, 2004 | url = http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=5814 | accessdate = 2008-02-16 ] [cite web | title = David Griswold | title = Worth Its Weight | publisher = Roast Magazine | date = September/October 2004 | url = http://www.roastmagazine.com/backissues/septoct2004/worthitsweight.html | accessdate = 2008-02-16 ] Sorenson is known for forming lasting relationships with the coffee producers.

The owner has offered atypical perks to his employees such as paying for a compilation album to be produced of their various bands, [cite web | title = CD Review: Worker's Comp: Stumptown Sessions Vol. 1 | publisher = The Portland Mercury | date = March 14 , 2002 | url = http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=26550&category=22158 | accessdate = 2008-02-16 ] and hiring a full-time on-staff massage therapist. cite web | title = 2006 Roaster of the Year | publisher = Roast Magazine | date = October/November 2005 | url = http://www.roastmagazine.com/backissues/novdec2005/roasterofyear06.html | accessdate = 2008-02-16 ]

They have received numerous awards, including "Roaster of the Year 2006".

Locations

Stumptown operates four cafes and two auxiliary facilities in Portland. Stumptown has cafes on SE 45th & Division St., SE 34th & Belmont, downtown at SW 3rd & Ash St, and inside the Ace Hotel at 1022 S.W. Stark St. There is a roasting facility at SE 34th & Division St. and a retail annex two doors down from the Belmont cafe. The original location on SE Division was previously a hair salon called "The Hair Bender", whose name Stumptown adopted for one of their signature espresso blends. [http://cuppin.wordpress.com/2006/06/17/who-died-and-made-you-coffee-expert-anyway/]

Recently, Stumptown has opened a rather distinctive annex location specifically for tasting coffee. The annex used the Clover 1s brewing machine to brew its coffee, but discontinued its use when the Coffee Equipment Company, the owner of the Clover 1s, was acquired by Starbucks.

In November 2007, Stumptown opened two cafes in Seattle. [cite news | first = Kristin | last = Dizon | title = Get perking: Portland's highly-regarded Stumptown Coffee comes to Capitol Hill | url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/339784_coffee16.html | publisher = Seattle Post Intelligencer | date = November 15, 2007 | accessdate=2007-11-24 ] They are located at 12th Avenue East & East Spring and East Pike & Belmont.

In 2008, Stumptown owner Duane Sorenson moved to Brooklyn, New York where he plans to open a roastery and two cafes. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/dining/13coffee.html]

"Bikes to Rwanda" Project

In 2006 after a business trip to Rwanda to visit coffee growers' cooperatives, Sorenson founded a non-profit organization whose sole mission was to provide cargo bicycles for the cooperative coffee growers. In addition, bike shops for the maintenance and repair of the bikes were to be established in Rwanda. To date, five are in operation. Bikes to Rwanda is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and has acquired numerous partner organizations. [ Bikes to Rwanda Official Website [http://www.bikestorwanda.org] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.stumptowncoffee.com Official website]
*Foley, Karen. [http://www.wweek.com/html/dish062800.html This Olde Coffee House] . "Willamette Week". Retrieved February 16, 2006.
*Moss, Matthew. (April 17, 2002). [http://www.wweek.com/editorial/2824/2678/ Cafe Ole Ole Ole] . "Willamette Week". Retrieved February 16, 2006.
*Sloan, Gene. (March 7, 2002). [http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/10great/2003-09-29-coffeehouses_x.htm 10 Great Places for Caffeine and Conversation] . "USA Today". Retrieved February 16, 2006.