Small World Coffee
Small World Coffee is an independent, founder-owned specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator in Princeton, NJ, established in 1993. It runs two cafes, an in-house Rocky Hill roasting facility, DTC e-commerce, wholesale distribution to 25+ partners, and catering across the Eastern US.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersPrinceton, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Small World Coffee does
Small World Coffee is an independent, founder-owned specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator established in Princeton, New Jersey in 1993. The company roasts, blends, and packages coffee at a dedicated production facility in Rocky Hill, NJ, and distributes through four channels: two physical cafes in downtown Princeton (the Witherspoon Street flagship opened December 22, 1993, and the Nassau Street location opened in 2006 with a commissary kitchen), a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront on Shopify shipping UPS Ground nationwide, a wholesale program supplying 25+ restaurants, cafes, bakeries, breweries, and retailers across NJ, PA, NY, DC, and additional states, and an event catering service for corporate and institutional clients.
The product portfolio spans proprietary coffee blends (SWC House, Crispy Hippie, Grumpy Monkey, Love, Morning Glory, Joker Poker, Rocket, Number Five), single-origin coffees (Colombian, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Java, Natural Yirgacheffe), decaffeinated options, branded merchandise (apparel, drinkware, flair), and gift cards. The company's signature technical differentiator is its "East Coast Roast" methodology, developed by founding roastmasters Jon March and Brant Cosaboom to highlight bean nuance and varietal characteristics over the dark-roast West Coast style prevalent in the early 1990s. Pricing is unit-based, with 12oz coffee bags at $21-$25 and a $100 free-shipping threshold for retail customers.
The business is privately held under founder Jessica Durrie with no private equity, venture capital, or parent company involvement. Operations run on Shopify for DTC commerce, Toast Tab for cafe ordering and gift cards, and UPS Ground for fulfillment. The company has grown organically over three decades without raising external capital and has added no new cafe locations since 2006, indicating deliberate single-market concentration rather than multi-unit expansion.
Small World Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Small World Coffee
- Legal name
- Small World Coffee
- Website
- https://smallworldcoffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Small World Coffee is an independent, founder-owned specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator in Princeton, NJ, established in 1993. It runs two cafes, an in-house Rocky Hill roasting facility, DTC e-commerce, wholesale distribution to 25+ partners, and catering across the Eastern US.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Small World Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Roasting & Cafe Retail
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro industry
- Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes)Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave)
Keywords
Where Small World Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Princeton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Small World Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cafe Retail Sales: In-person sales of coffee drinks, pastries, and food at two Princeton cafe locations. Includes specialty beverages, house-made items, and grab-and-go options.
- Direct-to-Consumer Coffee Sales: Online sales of roasted whole bean and ground coffee through the e-commerce storefront. Ships nationwide within continental US via UPS Ground.
- Wholesale Coffee Distribution: B2B sales of roasted coffee to partner businesses including restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and retailers. Includes brewing equipment consultation.
- Catering Services: Event catering providing locally roasted coffee, house-made beverages, and pastries for special events. Requires 72 hours advance notice with $100 minimum order.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single 12oz coffee bags priced $21-$25 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise items from $2.95 to $65 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards in denominations from $20 to $200 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Small World Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Small World Coffee roasts, blends, and packages specialty coffee at its Rocky Hill, NJ facility and sells it through two Princeton cafes, a Shopify-powered e-commerce webstore shipping nationwide via UPS Ground, and a wholesale program serving 25+ restaurant, cafe, bakery, brewery, and retailer partners across the Eastern US. The company also operates an event catering service for local businesses and sells branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, gift cards, and flair items.
Product overview
Small World Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and cafe chain operating two locations in Princeton, New Jersey since 1993. The company offers a vertically integrated coffee business encompassing roasting, retail cafes, wholesale distribution, and catering services. Core products include coffee blends (SWC House, Crispy Hippie, Grumpy Monkey, Love, Morning Glory, Joker Poker, Rocket, Number Five), single origin coffees (Colombian, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Java, Natural Yirgacheffe), and decaf options (SWC Decaf House). The company also operates a wholesale program for restaurants and retailers, provides event catering with locally roasted coffee and house-made beverages, and sells branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, onesies), drinkware (mugs, travel tumblers), gift cards, and flair items (pins, stickers).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coffee Blends House-crafted signature coffee blends combining beans from multiple origins for balanced flavors, body, and acidity. Includes SWC House, Crispy Hippie, Grumpy Monkey, Love, Morning Glory, Joker Poker, Rocket, and Number Five. Available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes with subscription options. Sold to cafe customers, online DTC shoppers, and wholesale partners.
- Single Origin Coffee Individual coffees sourced from specific regions and farms expressing unique terroir characteristics. Includes Colombian, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Java, and Natural Yirgacheffe varieties. Sold to cafe customers, online DTC shoppers, and wholesale partners.
- Decaf Coffee Expertly decaffeinated coffees including the SWC Decaf House blend, offering full flavor without caffeine. Sold to cafe customers, online DTC shoppers, and wholesale partners.
- Catering Event catering service providing locally roasted coffee, house-made beverages, and freshly baked pastries for meetings and special events. Requires 72 hours notice, $100 minimum order, and offers local delivery 7am-2pm. Serves Princeton-area businesses and organizations such as the Princeton Neuroscience Institute.
- Wholesale Program B2B wholesale supply of roasted coffee to restaurants, cafes, bakeries, breweries, and retailers. Offers competitive pricing, brewing and equipment consultation, and reliable supply. Partners include 25+ businesses across NJ, PA, NY, and DC, including Whole Foods, Barbuto, The Bent Spoon, and Triumph Brewery.
- Cafe Operations (Witherspoon & Nassau) Two cafe locations in Princeton, NJ serving espresso drinks, house-made beverages, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, tater tots, bowls, and soup. Witherspoon Street location is the original 1993 flagship near Princeton University with Saturday night live music and rotating art exhibitions. Nassau Street location opened in 2006 with a commissary kitchen producing house-made items and a large outdoor patio.
- Apparel Branded clothing including t-shirts (Genius, Pride, Crispy Hippie, Joe, Number Five, Vintage Number Five, Sleep is for the Weak, Double Shot), sweatshirts, hats, and onesies. Sold online at $30-$65 per item.
- Drinkware Branded mugs and travel tumblers including Genius Mug, Sleep is for the Weak Mug, and Miir Travel Mug. Sold online at $12.50-$34.50 per item.
- Gift Cards Gift cards available for both webstore (online) purchases and cafe (in-store) purchases, in denominations from $20 to $200.
- Flair / Merchandise Accessories Branded accessories including logo pins, stickers (logo, red cup, sleep is for the weak, dog, cupid), and other flair items. Sold online at $2.95-$10 per item.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 years in continuous operation since 1993
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Small World Coffee
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Small World Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Small World Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- BarbutominorRestaurant located at 113 Horatio St, New York, NY 10014. Serves Small World Coffee to their customers.
- Barefoot MarketminorCafe at 214 West Avenue, Ocean City, NJ 08226. Serves Small World Coffee products.
- The Bent SpoonminorArtisan ice cream shop at 35 Palmer Square West, Princeton, NJ. Serves Small World Coffee. Notable as alumni of Small World Coffee's community culture.
- Bridge CafeminorCafe at 8 Bridge Street, Frenchtown, NJ 08825. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Boro BeanminorCoffee shop at 9 East Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ 08525. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Chamber's Walk Cafe and CateringminorCafe and catering at 2667 Main St, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Crossroads BakeryminorBakery at 812 North Easton Road Store #4, Doylestown, PA 18902. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Fuel EspressominorEspresso bar at 103 1st St NE, Mount Vernon, LA 52314. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Jammin CrepesminorCreperie at 20 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542. Serves Small World Coffee.
- LillipiesminorBakery at 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton, NJ 08540. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Lucy's Kitchen & MarketminorRestaurant at 830 State Road, Princeton, NJ 08542. Serves Small World Coffee.
- MistralminorRestaurant at 66 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Pearl's BagelsminorBagel shop at 1017 7th Street NW, Washington DC 20001. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Spellbound BreweryminorBrewery at 10 Lippincott Ln #12, Mt Holly, NJ 08060. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Riverwards ProduceminorMarket at 2200 East Norris Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Triumph BreweryminorBrewery and restaurant at 20 Palmer Sq E, Princeton, NJ. Serves Small World Coffee.
- The Village Coffee & CreamminorCoffee shop at 44 S Main St, Shrewsbury, PA 17361. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Wally's LBIminorRestaurant at 712 Long Beach Blvd, Surf City, NJ 08008. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Whitehorse Wine and SpiritsminorWine and spirits store at 676 Whitehorse Pike, Abesecon, NJ 08201. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Whole Earth CenterminorNatural foods store at 360 Nassau St, Princeton, NJ. Serves Small World Coffee.
- Whole FoodsminorNational grocery chain retailer selling Small World Coffee products.
- Yardley RefilleryminorRefillery store at 1 S Main St, Yardley, PA 19067. Serves Small World Coffee.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Small World Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Small World Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceSmall World Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Small World Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Small World Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Small World Coffee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Small World Coffee
What does Small World Coffee do?
Small World Coffee roasts, blends, and packages specialty coffee at its Rocky Hill, NJ facility and sells it through two Princeton cafes, a Shopify-powered e-commerce webstore shipping nationwide via UPS Ground, and a wholesale program serving 25+ restaurant, cafe, bakery, brewery, and retailer partners across the Eastern US. The company also operates an event catering service for local businesses and sells branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, gift cards, and flair items.
Is Small World Coffee a public or private company?
Small World Coffee is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Small World Coffee founded?
Small World Coffee was founded in 1993. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Small World Coffee based?
Small World Coffee is headquartered in Princeton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Small World Coffee make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Cafe Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are direct-to-Consumer Coffee Sales, wholesale Coffee Distribution and catering Services.
Does Small World Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Small World Coffee.
What industry is Small World Coffee in?
Small World Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Roasting & Cafe Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAE, Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes), with a secondary code of THAFADAA, Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave). Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 5810.