Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company

What Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company does

Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company (legally Coffee Creations, Inc.) is a family-owned, Detroit-rooted specialty coffee roaster founded in 1994 and headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The company sources specialty-grade green coffee through direct-trade relationships with farmers and co-ops internationally, then hand-crafts small-batch roasts using custom-modified drum roasters with precise temperature profiles tailored to each bean. Its core packaged offering spans signature blends (Motor City, Corktown, Mackinac Island), espresso blends (Dark Horse, Hydro), single origins, and a premium Superior Select sub-brand, sold in whole-bean and ground formats through DTC e-commerce on Shopify and via wholesale partners.

The company has built a diversified revenue model across five streams: packaged coffee and merchandise sales (DTC), a Coffee of the Month subscription box ($60/3-pack), wholesale B2B coffee programs supplying cafés, restaurants, offices, and grocery retailers with equipment, barista training, menu development, and maintenance support (leveraging partnerships with La Marzocco, Franke, and Mazzer), ready-to-drink canned cold brew, nitro brew, and flavored lattes, and corporate event catering using mobile espresso bars. Company-owned retail cafés are operated at Detroit Metro Airport's McNamara Terminal (Delta concourse), the Huntington Place convention center (Cork & Grind), and Kettering University in Flint, with an additional paid Roastery Experience tour program at the Bloomfield Hills roastery.

Customer segments split between long-tail individual coffee enthusiasts served via e-commerce and subscription, distributed wholesale accounts across the Great Lakes Region, and a roster of enterprise event clients that includes Ford, Michelin, Ilitch Holdings, ZF, Sika, SAE International, Sodexo, Lincoln Electric, Center Automotive, and Quicken Loans/Rock Holdings. Select SKUs (House Decaf, French Roast, Peru, Sumatra) carry USDA Organic and Fair Trade certifications, and the company emphasizes annual farm visits, direct-trade pricing above market, and a "Stay Rooted" Detroit/Italian-heritage brand narrative. The business is privately held with no disclosed external funding, M&A activity, or executive leadership changes in the source material.

Name

Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company

Legal name

Coffee Creations, Inc.

Website

https://greatlakescoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company is a family-owned, Detroit-based specialty coffee roaster serving DTC consumers, B2B wholesale accounts, and corporate catering clients, while operating retail cafés at DTW Airport, Huntington Place, and Kettering University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE), Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Cold brew beverages
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Coffee subscription service
• Mobile coffee catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomfield Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Packaged Coffee Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of freshly roasted whole bean and ground coffees through e-commerce and retail locations. Includes signature blends, single origins, and seasonal offerings.
2. Ready-to-Drink Cold Brew & Lattes: Canned cold brew, nitro brew, and flavored lattes sold in 12-pack cases and individual cans at retail locations and online.
3. Subscription Services: Coffee of the Month subscription boxes delivered recurring, providing predictable recurring revenue.
4. Wholesale B2B: Bulk coffee, equipment, and services sold to cafés, restaurants, offices, grocery retailers, and event spaces with customized coffee programs.
5. Catering & Events: Mobile coffee bar services for corporate events, trade shows, and gatherings with professional baristas.
6. Merchandise: Branded apparel, tumblers, mugs, and accessories sold online and at retail locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company is a family-owned, Detroit-based specialty coffee roaster that handcrafts small-batch whole bean and ground coffees using custom-modified drum roasters with precise temperature profiles. It sells packaged coffees, ready-to-drink cold brew and nitro brew in cans, flavored cold brew lattes, and operates wholesale coffee programs for businesses, retail café locations at airports and convention centers, mobile catering for corporate events, and a monthly coffee subscription service.

Product overview

Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company is a family-owned Detroit-based specialty coffee roaster offering a diversified product portfolio centered on freshly roasted packaged coffees and ready-to-drink cold brew products. The core offering includes whole bean and ground coffees across signature blends (Motor City, Corktown, Mackinac Island), espresso blends (Dark Horse, Hydro), and single origins, supplemented by canned Cold Brew and Nitro Brew in 12oz and 9.6oz formats, and Flavored Cold Brew Lattes (Vanilla, Mocha, Lavender) in variety packs. Premium offerings are branded under Superior Select. The company operates a subscription service (Coffee of the Month), retail café locations at DTW Airport and Huntington Place, a catering/events service, and a wholesale division providing coffee programs, equipment (La Marzocco, Franke, Mazzer), and training to businesses. The product line extends to merchandise (apparel, drinkware) and brew gear accessories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Packaged Coffee Handcrafted, freshly roasted whole bean and ground coffees sold directly to consumers in various roast levels and signature blends including Motor City Blend, Corktown Blend, Mackinac Island, French Roast Organic, H.O.M.E.S., Dark Horse Espresso, Hydro Espresso, House Decaf Organic, Colombia, and Fresh Coast.
• Cold Brew Smooth cold-brewed coffee available in ready-to-drink 12oz cans and Nitro Brew 9.6oz cans, with the nitro variant infused with nitrogen for a smooth effervescence reminiscent of draft beer. Cold brew is extracted under continuous refrigeration for 18 hours at a 5:11 ratio by weight.
• Cold Brew Lattes Ready-to-drink canned lattes made with cold brew coffee and house-made flavoring syrups, available in Vanilla, Mocha, and Lavender flavors, sold as singles or variety packs.
• Superior Select Curated collection of premium specialty coffees featuring single-origin selections such as Fausto Romo ($22), Papua New Guinea ($20), and Tanzania Peaberry ($18), representing the company's highest quality offerings.
• Coffee of the Month Subscription Box Monthly subscription service delivering a curated selection of freshly roasted coffees on a recurring basis, with a 3-pack option priced at $60.
• Gift Bundles Curated gift sets featuring combinations of coffee products for gifting occasions, including Up North Necessities ($39) and Bare Necessities ($54).
• Branded Merchandise Branded apparel and accessories including Carhartt knit hats, crewneck sweatshirts, t-shirts, hoodies, tumblers, travel mugs, diner mugs, and novelty items.
• Brew Gear Equipment and accessories for home brewing including pour-over devices, French presses, Aeropress, and cold brew systems such as Hario Mizudashi.
• Wholesale Coffee Programs Comprehensive wholesale solutions for cafés, restaurants, offices, grocery retailers, and event spaces including drip coffee, espresso systems, and cold brew/nitro brew on tap, complemented by barista training, menu development, and equipment (La Marzocco, Franke, Mazzer) purchase/rental and maintenance support.
• Catering & Events Mobile coffee service for corporate events, trade shows, customer appreciation, holiday parties, and outdoor events, featuring espresso bars, pour-over stations, and cold brew on draft with professional baristas and a 10x10 branded tent.
• Roastery Experience Guided behind-the-scenes tour of the Bloomfield Hills roastery lasting 90-120 minutes for up to 8 guests, including roasting process exploration, tasting sessions, brewing education, and hands-on brewing with a souvenir bag and mug.

Quantifiable outcome

• Specialty grade coffee sourcing with above-market pricing paid to farmers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• La MarzoccocoreTechnology or IntegrationPremium espresso machine brand offered as part of Great Lakes Coffee's wholesale equipment solutions. La Marzocco machines are available for purchase and rental to business partners including cafés and restaurants.
• FrankecoreTechnology or IntegrationCommercial coffee equipment brand available through wholesale program for espresso solutions. Part of comprehensive equipment offerings for high-volume coffee service.
• MazzercoreTechnology or IntegrationPrecision espresso grinders offered as part of wholesale equipment solutions. Mazzer grinders complement espresso machine offerings for complete brewing solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Onyx Coffee Lab: Specialty roaster with direct-trade sourcing and DTC — comparable in small-batch craft roasting and emerging brand positioning.

Direct peers

• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster operating DTC e-commerce, wholesale, cafés, and a leading RTD draft latte line. Closely aligned with Great Lakes Coffee across roasting, RTD, and B2B channels.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Premium specialty roaster with DTC, cafés, and RTD canned cold brew — direct overlap with GLC's packaged coffee, café, and canned cold brew lines.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty third-wave roaster with DTC subscriptions, cafés, wholesale, and cold brew RTD products. Direct competitor across nearly every channel GLC operates in.
• High Brew Coffee: RTD cold brew specialist with broad retail distribution — relevant peer for GLC's canned cold brew and nitro product lines.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering third-wave specialty roaster with direct-trade sourcing, wholesale, and cafés. Comparable in sourcing philosophy, small-batch roasting, and B2B focus.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster focused on sustainability, direct trade, and wholesale to cafés and offices — overlapping GLC's wholesale and sustainability positioning.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with cafés, DTC subscriptions, and farmer relationships — peer in small-batch third-wave roasting and B2B/retail footprint.
• Kicking Horse Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with strong DTC and grocery distribution in organic/fair trade — relevant comparable in packaged specialty coffee.

Broad incumbents

• Caribou Coffee: Established specialty-adjacent coffee chain with cafés and packaged retail coffee — broader incumbent competing for the same wholesale and retail shelf space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GLCRoasting
• Facebookfacebook.com/glcroasting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-lakes-coffee-roasting-co

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company