What Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters does

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters is a Calgary-based, founder-owned specialty coffee company founded in 2007 by electrical and computer engineers Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb. The company operates a vertically integrated specialty coffee platform spanning direct-trade green coffee sourcing across 10+ producing countries, in-house roasting at a custom-built Roasterie in the Simmons building, nine company-owned retail cafés across Calgary, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce and subscription business, a B2B wholesale program supplying other cafés and restaurants with bespoke training, paid educational classes, and a co-branded food extension (Hoopla Donuts). Its core competitive assets are a one-of-a-kind 45kg production roaster designed by the founders and a laser reflectometer system that verifies every roast in triplicate with auto-correction for temperature and humidity drift, paired with blind cupping protocols and frozen-storage procedures intended to ensure radical cup-to-cup consistency.

The business generates revenue through six primary streams: walk-in café sales, e-commerce one-off purchases, monthly/bi-weekly coffee subscriptions (from $22 per 250g bag, fresh-roasted on demand), B2B wholesale green coffee and training, in-person classes ($54–$69 per person), and gift cards. Coffees are organized into Core, Spotlight, and Uncommon Collection tiers, with prices ranging from $15.75 for a 250g everyday coffee to $44 for a 100–200g competition-grade tin. Customer segments include specialty coffee enthusiasts (primary DTC), wholesale café and restaurant partners (primary B2B), corporate gifting buyers, and coffee-education seekers. Go-to-market combines content-driven brand-building (journal, Instagram, email newsletter, competition sponsorship) with a named-account wholesale team (Jill Chevrier, Rob Oppenheim, and others) and event-driven international exposure (Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival, Calgary Folk Festival).

The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and founder-led with no disclosed external investment, no public listing, and a 11–50 employee headcount. It has accumulated a multi-year competition pedigree (Canadian Barista Championships in 2012 and 2013, 9th place World Barista Championship finish in 2012, Gold Medal at the 2025 Global Coffee Awards US & Canada for its Jose Joaquin Bolaños Geisha) and operates wholly within Calgary at the retail level, with growing international visibility through events and producer-marketing partnerships across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Name

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters

Legal name

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters

Website

https://philsebastian.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters is a Calgary-based, founder-owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 2007, operating nine retail cafés, a DTC e-commerce and subscription business, a wholesale program, and coffee classes. It sources direct-trade green coffee from 10+ countries, roasts on a custom-built production roaster, and serves specialty coffee enthusiasts, wholesale café partners, and corporate gift buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Direct trade coffee
• Coffee retail cafes
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Coffee education classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales (Café): Walk-in café sales across 9 Calgary locations serving specialty espresso, filter coffee, and cold brew products.
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription model delivering fresh-roasted coffee monthly or bi-weekly to consumer doors. No long-term commitment required. Subscribers receive shipping discounts and savings per bag.
3. E-commerce Retail (Online Shop): Direct-to-consumer online sales of whole bean coffee, instant coffee, equipment, accessories, chocolate, books, apparel, and gift cards.
4. Wholesale B2B: B2B wholesale of green coffee beans and barista training to other cafés, restaurants, and businesses with dedicated partnership support.
5. Coffee Classes: In-person educational classes (Brewing at Home, Tasting Specialty Coffee, Intro to Espresso, Latte Art) at the Roasterie with hands-on instruction, free coffee, and facility tours.
6. Gift Cards: Physical and digital gift cards for café and online shop redemption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters roasts direct-trade specialty coffee on a custom-built 45kg production roaster and sells roasted coffee through three tiers (Core, Spotlight, Uncommon Collection). Distribution occurs via nine company-owned cafés across Calgary, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop, a recurring coffee subscription, a B2B wholesale program supplying cafés and restaurants, and hands-on coffee education classes.

Product overview

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters is a Calgary-based specialty coffee company operating as a unified specialty coffee platform. The core offering consists of direct-trade roasted coffee beans organized into three tiers: Core (everyday flavoured profile coffees in coloured bags), Spotlight (exceptional single-origin coffees in white bags), and Uncommon Collection (competition-grade coffees in tins). The product portfolio extends to coffee subscriptions with flexible delivery, educational coffee classes at their roasterie HQ, brewing equipment and accessories, artisan chocolate pairings, physical and digital gift cards, and a B2B wholesale program. The company operates eight cafe locations across Calgary and maintains a direct-to-consumer e-commerce operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hoopla Donuts: A donut and cafe collaboration brand; dual shop concept with Phil & Sebastian at Calgary Place and Marda Loop locations.

Products and services

• Coffee Products Specialty roasted coffee beans sourced through direct trade, organized into Core (colored bags), Spotlight (white bags), and Uncommon Collection (competition-grade tins), with filter, espresso, and decaf options.
• Instant Coffee

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 30,000+ coffees at Calgary Folk Festival since 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hasty CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Hasty Coffee to produce Lilac Dream instant coffee. Hasty Coffee's relentless focus on quality mirrors Phil & Sebastian's own standards. The batch was revision five of their process.
• BurwoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Burwood + Phil & Sebastian Collab Espresso Martini product.
• Highlander Wine & SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Elliot and Matt from Highlander Wine & Spirits to create wine and beer menu for Mission café location.
• DreamwinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Eric from Dreamwines to create elegant, approachable wine selection for Mission café evening vibe.
• Charcut (John and Connie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurant partners at Simmons building collaboration - Charcut brings charcuterie and deli offerings to the shared concept café, roasterie, bakery, and restaurant space.
• Sidewalk Citizen (Aviv)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBakery partner at Simmons building collaboration - Sidewalk Citizen provides artisan bread and bakery offerings to the shared concept space.
• McKinley Burkart (Walker and Mark)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture and design firm responsible for designing Marda Loop, Mission, and Simmons locations. Shared passion and dedication to craft with Phil & Sebastian.
• Offset StudiosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale partner and visual collaborator creating content for Phil & Sebastian.
• Exclusive Coffees (Francisco 'Chico' Mena)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosta Rican exporter who pioneered direct-trade model from producers. Key figure in establishing Costa Rica's specialty coffee reputation. Introduced Phil & Sebastian to producers they still work with today.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Larger third-wave specialty operator (Nestlé-owned) with cafés, wholesale, and DTC. Operates in the same category but at significantly greater scale and with institutional capital behind it.
• Tim Hortons: Dominant Canadian QSR coffee chain; while a different price point and customer, it shapes Calgary's coffee competitive landscape and consumer expectations P&S must position against.

Direct peers

• 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters: Canadian specialty coffee roaster founded in Vancouver with multiple cafés and a wholesale program, directly comparable to Phil & Sebastian's café + wholesale + DTC model in the Canadian third-wave segment.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Competition-driven specialty roaster with cafés and wholesale; aligns with P&S on barista championship pedigree, premium single-origin focus, and modern brand positioning.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Iconic U.S. third-wave roaster with cafés, wholesale, and DTC, now under Peet's/Nestlé. Highly comparable specialty positioning, though materially larger and better-capitalized.
• Ritual Coffee Roasters: San Francisco specialty roaster with cafés and wholesale; comparable third-wave heritage, direct-trade sourcing, and emphasis on café experience as brand-building.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Santa Cruz/LA specialty roaster with cafés, wholesale, and DTC; similar multi-channel model and premium positioning to P&S.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering U.S. third-wave specialty roaster operating cafés, wholesale, and DTC subscriptions with strong direct-trade sourcing — closely aligned with P&S's premium, education-forward positioning.
• Counter Culture Coffee: U.S. specialty roaster known for direct-trade sourcing, sustainability, and barista education programs; comparable to P&S in mission, training emphasis, and wholesale-driven GTM.
• Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with cafés, wholesale, and DTC; similar size and ethos to P&S, with comparable emphasis on light roasts and direct-trade sourcing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/philandseb
• Xx.com/philandseb
• Facebookfacebook.com/philsebastiancoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters