Sump Coffee
Sump Coffee is a privately held specialty coffee roaster founded in 2016 in Saint Louis that operates four cafes across Saint Louis, Nashville, and Brooklyn, selling light-roasted single origin whole-bean coffee, subscriptions, and merchandise direct-to-consumer and through wholesale.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSaint Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sump Coffee does
Sump Coffee is a privately held specialty coffee roaster and retailer founded in Saint Louis, Missouri in 2016. The company specializes in light-roasted single origin coffees sourced from producers in Colombia, Kenya, Mexico, and other regions, with on-site roasting at its South City Saint Louis roastery. Its technical differentiation centers on coffee processing experimentation — including "Advanced Natural" processes employing yeast inoculation and thermal shock, as exemplified by the Finca Quebraditas release — and on a curated brewing education program ("Scott Brews at Home") covering French Press, Hario V60, and Chemex methods.
The business operates four physical cafes across three US markets: the original Saint Louis location on South Jefferson, two Nashville locations (One City and the Petrichor sub-brand in Berry Hill, which focuses on natural-processed small-lot coffees and seasonal non-alcoholic cocktails), and a Williamsburg, Brooklyn cafe opened in 2025. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across cafe, e-commerce (Shopify), recurring and pre-paid subscriptions, and a wholesale channel for business partners. Pricing on whole-bean coffee ranges from roughly $19 to $33.50 per 12oz bag; subscriptions start around $25 per month; merchandise (apparel, mugs, accessories) is sold alongside the core coffee line.
Sump is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, venture backing, or institutional investment, operating with a small team under 10 employees per firmographic data, supported by an active hiring footprint for baristas and production roasting. Operational partnerships include Red Fox Coffee Merchants for specialty-grade sourcing, Fellow for branded drinkware, Tiny Little Monster for apparel screen printing, Square for payments and gift cards, and Shopify for e-commerce.
Sump Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sump Coffee
- Legal name
- Sump Coffee
- Website
- https://sumpcoffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sump Coffee is a privately held specialty coffee roaster founded in 2016 in Saint Louis that operates four cafes across Saint Louis, Nashville, and Brooklyn, selling light-roasted single origin whole-bean coffee, subscriptions, and merchandise direct-to-consumer and through wholesale.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sump Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Retail & Roasting
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where Sump Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Sump Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Whole Bean Coffee Sales: One-time purchases of whole bean single origin coffees sold in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb bag sizes. Includes light, medium, and dark roast options from various origins.
- Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring monthly and bi-weekly subscription deliveries of Roaster's Choice whole bean coffee. Also includes pre-paid subscription options for 3 and 6 month terms with various shipment frequencies.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies), drinkware (mugs, travel mugs), accessories (tote bags, dog toys, stickers, enamel pins).
- Wholesale: Wholesale accounts for business partners to purchase Sump Coffee products for resale.
- Gift Cards: Square eGift Cards for in-cafe purchases and Shopify eGift Cards for online orders. Separate systems for St. Louis and Nashville locations.
- In-Cafe Beverage Sales: Walk-in sales of specialty espresso drinks, pourovers, and other coffee beverages at physical cafe locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Whole Bean Coffee - 12oz bags |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Whole Bean Coffee - 2lb and 5lb bags |
| Subscription | Monthly | Recurring Coffee Subscriptions |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Pre-Paid Coffee Subscriptions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sump Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sump Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and retailer that operates physical cafes and an online store selling light roasted single origin whole bean coffee, subscriptions, and branded merchandise. The company sources traceable specialty-grade coffees from global producers and roasts on-site at its Saint Louis headquarters, serving customers across four cafe locations in Saint Louis, Nashville, and Brooklyn.
Product overview
Sump Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and retailer operating four cafe locations in Saint Louis, Nashville, and Brooklyn. The company's core product portfolio consists of light roasted single origin whole bean coffees sold directly online and in-cafes, supplemented by recurring and pre-paid subscription programs. Their product ecosystem includes: whole bean coffee (12 oz and 2 lb bags with seasonal single origins from Colombia, Kenya, Mexico), recurring coffee subscriptions (Roaster's Choice and Decaf delivered on schedule), pre-paid gift subscriptions (3 or 6 month terms, bi-weekly or monthly), instant coffee sachets for quick preparation, and branded merchandise including apparel, travel mugs, and accessories. A notable sub-brand, Petrichor, is a Nashville cafe focused on curated natural processed coffees and seasonal NA cocktails. The company also offers wholesale programs for business partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Petrichor: Sump Coffee's newest Nashville location with a focus on curated, small lot, big natural coffees. An intimate space for coffee enthusiasts featuring natural and post-harvest alternative processed coffees.
Products and services
- Whole Bean Coffee Light roasted single origin whole bean coffee sold in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb bags, featuring seasonal single origin offerings from Colombia, Kenya, Mexico, and other coffee-producing regions. Targeted at home brewers and coffee enthusiasts seeking traceable, high-quality specialty coffee.
- Recurring Coffee Subscriptions Auto-delivery subscription service delivering Roaster's Choice or Decaf whole bean coffee to customers on a recurring schedule. Customers can modify or cancel anytime. Targeted at individual coffee enthusiasts seeking a steady supply of specialty coffee.
- Pre-Paid Coffee Gift Subscriptions Pre-paid gift subscription packages in 3-month or 6-month terms with bi-weekly or monthly delivery of 12oz Roaster's Choice bags. Targeted at gift purchasers and coffee enthusiasts who prefer prepaid commitments with included shipping.
- In-Store Cafe Service Specialty coffee drinks including espresso beverages, pourovers, and specialty drinks served at cafe locations in Saint Louis, Nashville (One City and Petrichor), and Brooklyn. Targeted at walk-in customers and local coffee enthusiasts.
- Instant Coffee Premium specialty instant coffee sachets (six per box) designed for quick preparation by adding to 10 oz of hot water. Targeted at travelers, campers, and consumers seeking convenient specialty coffee.
- Sump Branded Apparel & Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, zip-ups, tote bags, dog toys, enamel pins, and stickers featuring Sump Coffee artwork. Targeted at brand enthusiasts and gift purchasers.
- Carter Move Mug (Fellow Brand) 12 oz Fellow Carter Move Mug travel mug with snap-in splash guard and slim width, sold in Red and Black variants. Targeted at commuters and home brewers seeking premium coffee gear.
- Petrichor Cafe (Sub-brand Location) Nashville cafe sub-brand specializing in curated, small lot, big natural processed coffees, featuring a coffee-centric intimate space and seasonal NA cocktails. Targeted at coffee enthusiasts and natural-process coffee aficionados in Nashville.
- Wholesale Coffee Program Wholesale coffee program enabling business partners (cafes, restaurants, retailers) to purchase Sump Coffee products for resale to their customers. Targeted at small and mid-sized hospitality and retail businesses.
- Gift Cards Square and Shopify powered eGift Cards available for in-cafe purchases (Saint Louis and Nashville) and online orders. Targeted at gift purchasers and frequent customers seeking stored balance.
Companies that use Sump Coffee
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sump Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sump Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Red Fox Coffee MerchantscoreSourcing partner for specialty-grade coffee. Red Fox Coffee Merchants provides highly traceable, specialty-grade coffees from remote, high-altitude terrain, ensuring relationship-driven sourcing that incentivizes local producers with premium prices and long-term market stability.
- Tiny Little MonsterminorScreen printing partner for apparel merchandise. Tiny Little Monster prints Sump Coffee's branded t-shirt designs including skull logos and artwork on various apparel items.
- SquarecorePayment processing and gift card platform provider. Square provides eGift Card systems for both St. Louis and Nashville cafe locations, enabling in-person cafe purchases and gift card balance checking.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform hosting Sump Coffee's online store. Shopify provides the online e-commerce platform enabling sale of products and services to customers.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sump Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty coffee roaster with cafes and wholesale distribution. Directly comparable third-wave specialty roaster with similar light roast single origin focus, multi-channel GTM (cafe, DTC, wholesale), and subscription model.
- Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based third-wave specialty coffee roaster with cafes and wholesale. Direct competitor in the premium single origin segment with comparable direct-to-consumer and wholesale distribution strategy.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Durham-based specialty coffee roaster focused on sustainability and single origin offerings. Operates training centers and supplies wholesale, with similar direct-trade sourcing philosophy and educational content approach.
- Verve Coffee Roasters: Santa Cruz-based specialty roaster with multiple cafe locations and a strong DTC subscription business. Comparable premium positioning, multi-city retail footprint, and content-driven brand building.
- Onyx Coffee Lab: Arkansas-based specialty roaster recognized for competition-level coffee quality. Comparable in award-winning quality positioning, premium single origin focus, and competition circuit credibility.
- Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with a small cafe footprint and direct-to-consumer subscription business. Comparable size, premium positioning, and direct-trade sourcing philosophy.
- Ritual Coffee Roasters: San Francisco-based specialty roaster with cafes and wholesale operations. Comparable third-wave positioning, single origin focus, and cafe-retailer hybrid model.
- Colectivo Coffee: Milwaukee-based specialty coffee roaster with multiple cafe locations and wholesale distribution. Comparable mid-sized regional roaster operating cafes, e-commerce, and wholesale in a similar niche.
Broad incumbents
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Major third-wave specialty coffee company (owned by Nestle) with extensive cafe network and DTC operations. Larger competitor operating in the same premium single origin niche with substantially more capital and distribution.
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Philadelphia-based specialty roaster with a national cafe footprint and DTC draft latte business. Larger but overlapping competitor in premium specialty coffee retail and wholesale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sump Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceSump Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sump Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sump Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sump 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 Sump Coffee
What does Sump Coffee do?
Sump Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster and retailer that operates physical cafes and an online store selling light roasted single origin whole bean coffee, subscriptions, and branded merchandise. The company sources traceable specialty-grade coffees from global producers and roasts on-site at its Saint Louis headquarters, serving customers across four cafe locations in Saint Louis, Nashville, and Brooklyn.
Is Sump Coffee a public or private company?
Sump Coffee is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sump Coffee founded?
Sump Coffee was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sump Coffee based?
Sump Coffee is headquartered in Saint Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sump Coffee make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Whole Bean Coffee Sales are the primary driver. The others are coffee Subscriptions, merchandise Sales, wholesale, gift Cards and in-Cafe Beverage Sales.
Who are Sump Coffee's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Intelligentsia Coffee, Counter Culture Coffee, Verve Coffee Roasters, Onyx Coffee Lab, Heart Coffee Roasters, Ritual Coffee Roasters and Colectivo Coffee. Broad incumbents are Blue Bottle Coffee and La Colombe Coffee Roasters.
Does Sump Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sump Coffee.
What industry is Sump Coffee in?
Sump Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Retail & Roasting. 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 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.