Modest Coffee
Modest Coffee is a West Chicago-based specialty roaster selling curated, seasonally rotating single origin coffees through DTC e-commerce, a tiered subscription service, wholesale partners, and a brick-and-mortar location, targeting home coffee enthusiasts and small retail accounts in the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersWest Chicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Modest Coffee does
Modest Coffee, Inc. is a privately held, US-only specialty coffee company founded circa 2012 by Marcus (with Jenni) and headquartered at 245 W. Roosevelt Bldg 2-15, West Chicago, Illinois. The company roasts and sells single origin coffees organized into a proprietary four-tier curation system (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark), supplemented by a Decaf line and a Sampler. Each tier is assigned based on cupping score, price, flavor notes, and roast level, and the portfolio rotates seasonally as the company purchases entire crops from small farmers in regions including Honduras, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Mexico, and Colombia. The company won the 2021 Good Food Award for a Black Honey process single origin from the Familia Monge farm in Costa Rica.
Modest Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Modest Coffee
- Legal name
- Modest Coffee, Inc.
- Website
- https://modest.coffee
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Modest Coffee is a West Chicago-based specialty roaster selling curated, seasonally rotating single origin coffees through DTC e-commerce, a tiered subscription service, wholesale partners, and a brick-and-mortar location, targeting home coffee enthusiasts and small retail accounts in the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Modest Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Modest Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from tiered coffee subscription plans delivered every 2 months
- One-time Coffee Bag Purchases: Single purchase of coffee bags ranging from 12 oz to 5 lb sizes at various price points based on tier
- Merchandise and Equipment: Sale of coffee mugs, apparel, pins, and professional brewing equipment including grinders
- Wholesale Coffee: B2B wholesale coffee sales to retail partners, cafes, and restaurants through platforms like Faire and Mable
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | The Modest - Entry level single origin subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | The Enthusiast - Mid-tier variety-focused subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | The Collector - Premium high-end boutique subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | The Dark - Dark roast focused subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | The Decaf - Decaffeinated subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | The Sampler - Mixed variety subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Bag Purchases |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Sampler |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Modest Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Modest Coffee is a specialty single origin coffee roaster that sources green coffee from small farmers, roasts it, and sells it through curated tiers (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark) plus a decaf option, available as one-time purchases and recurring two-month subscriptions. The company also sells handmade mugs, branded apparel, third-party brewing equipment (Bee House drippers, Baratza grinders), ready-to-drink cold brew locally in Chicago, and operates a wholesale program supplying coffee and professional equipment (La Marzocco, FETCO, Malkönig, Mazzer) to cafes and restaurants.
Product overview
Modest Coffee is a specialty single origin coffee roaster offering a curated portfolio of seasonally rotating beans across four quality tiers (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark) plus decaf and sampler options. The core products include single bags for one-time purchase and subscription services delivering beans every two months. Supporting merchandise includes handmade mugs, apparel, and pins. Brewing equipment offerings include Bee House drippers and Baratza grinders (Encore, Virtuoso+, Sette 270) available for retail. B2B wholesale services provide professional equipment partnerships for cafes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Single Origin Coffee Bags (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark) Seasonally rotating single origin coffee beans sourced from small farmers worldwide and curated into four quality tiers (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark) based on cupping score, price, flavor notes, and roast level. Available in 12 oz and 5 lb sizes at price points from $17 to $105. Sold to home coffee drinkers and as a wholesale offering to cafes and retail partners.
- The Decaf Single Origin Coffee Swiss Water-processed decaf single origin coffee from the Andes Mountains, Colombia, preserving full flavor with zero caffeine. Sold as 12 oz or 5 lb bags priced $21–$105. Targeted at decaf drinkers who want specialty-grade quality.
- Coffee Subscriptions (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark, The Decaf, The Sampler) Six recurring subscription tiers delivering single origin coffee every two months (or monthly for The Sampler), priced from $16 to $29. Includes accessible (The Modest), variety (The Enthusiast), premium boutique (The Collector), dark roast (The Dark), decaf (The Decaf), and a sampler mix of the top three most popular coffees.
- Coffee Gift Subscription Gift-membership version of the coffee subscription, sold in 3-month terms with a $51 sign-up fee, allowing customers to give a recurring coffee delivery to another person.
- Cold Brewed Coffee Ready-to-drink bottled cold brew coffee sold locally in the Chicago area as a finished beverage offering complementing the whole-bean and subscription business.
- The Gift Sampler Curated gift box containing 6 oz bags of four single origin coffees (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark), arriving boxed and ready to gift. Priced at $42.
- Handmade Ceramic Mugs Handmade ceramic mugs crafted by Chicago-area artist Leslie Jenner in Homewood, IL, with 14–16 oz capacity, multiple color schemes, and gift-boxed packaging. Priced at $34.
- Bee House Coffee Dripper (Large) Ceramic pour-over dripper sold by Modest Coffee, valued for consistent draw-down time and forgiving pour technique. Available in large size and multiple colors, priced at $28.99.
- Baratza Encore Grinder Entry-level conical burr grinder with 40 individual grind settings covering espresso to coarse manual brew methods. 7 lbs, 120V/120W, priced at $169.95.
- Baratza Virtuoso+ Grinder Professional-grade conical burr grinder with 40mm burrs, 8 oz bean hopper, 60-second timer, and front-mounted pulse button. 8 lbs, priced at $249.95.
- Baratza Sette 270 Grinder High-performance grinder with a straight-through vertical grinding mechanism, 40mm conical AP burrs, 30 macro/9 micro grind adjustments, and 3 programmable dose settings. Priced at $399.95.
- Modest Coffee Pin 1-inch shiny steel pin featuring the Modest Coffee 'M' emblem. Priced at $8.
- Modest Coffee Tee Gray t-shirt with white Modest Coffee logo, available in unisex and women's sizes. 65% polyester, 35% cotton. Priced at $20.
- Professional Coffee Equipment Wholesale Program B2B wholesale coffee equipment partnership program featuring La Marzocco, FETCO, Malkönig, and Mazzer professional espresso and brewing equipment for cafes and commercial buyers, with consultations via [email protected].
Quantifiable outcome
- Good Food Award Winner 2021 - Black Honey process single origin from Costa Rica
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Modest Coffee
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Modest Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
Modest Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- La MarzoccocoreProfessional espresso machine manufacturer. La Marzocco is featured as one of the select professional coffee equipment companies that Modest Coffee partners with for wholesale equipment consultations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Modest Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Large-scale specialty coffee operator (Nestlé-owned) with DTC subscriptions, cafes, and wholesale. Comparable product and target customer, but materially larger scale and more diversified portfolio.
Direct peers
- Heart Coffee Roasters: Specialty single-origin roaster with direct farmer relationships and a minimalist brand aesthetic, operating DTC e-commerce plus wholesale. Comparable in scale, sourcing philosophy, and curated tier structure.
- Trade Coffee: Online specialty coffee subscription marketplace matching consumers with roasters based on taste preferences. Comparable as a DTC subscription operator in the curated specialty single-origin segment.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty single-origin coffee roaster with strong sustainability and farmer-direct sourcing programs, selling through wholesale, subscriptions, and retail. Closely aligned on values-led sourcing and educational content positioning.
- Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster offering single-origin coffees via DTC subscriptions, retail cafes, and wholesale. Similar curated product lineup and small-farmer sourcing emphasis.
- Driftaway Coffee: Subscription-first specialty coffee roaster operating on a similar direct-to-consumer model with curated single-origin profiles and tiered personalization. Most directly comparable in business model and target customer (specialty-curious home drinkers).
- Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering third-wave specialty roaster with direct trade sourcing, wholesale, and retail cafes. Comparable on tier curation framework and emphasis on producer relationships.
- Onyx Coffee Lab: Competition-winning specialty roaster focused on single-origin coffees with award recognition and direct farmer relationships. Comparable on craft positioning and quality-led brand reputation.
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with national DTC, wholesale, and cafe footprint, including RTD draft lattes. Comparable in product breadth (beans + RTD cold brew) and multi-channel distribution.
Regional players
- Dark Matter Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster with cafes and wholesale presence in the same regional market as Modest. Comparable on craft positioning and Midwest distribution footprint.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Modest Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceModest Coffee compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Modest Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Modest Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Modest Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Modest 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 Modest Coffee
What does Modest Coffee do?
Modest Coffee is a specialty single origin coffee roaster that sources green coffee from small farmers, roasts it, and sells it through curated tiers (The Modest, The Enthusiast, The Collector, The Dark) plus a decaf option, available as one-time purchases and recurring two-month subscriptions. The company also sells handmade mugs, branded apparel, third-party brewing equipment (Bee House drippers, Baratza grinders), ready-to-drink cold brew locally in Chicago, and operates a wholesale program supplying coffee and professional equipment (La Marzocco, FETCO, Malkönig, Mazzer) to cafes and restaurants.
Is Modest Coffee a public or private company?
Modest Coffee is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Modest Coffee founded?
Modest Coffee was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Modest Coffee based?
Modest Coffee is headquartered in West Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Modest Coffee make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Coffee Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are one-time Coffee Bag Purchases, merchandise and Equipment and wholesale Coffee.
Who are Modest Coffee's main competitors?
Blue Bottle Coffee is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Heart Coffee Roasters, Trade Coffee, Counter Culture Coffee, Verve Coffee Roasters, Driftaway Coffee, Intelligentsia Coffee, Onyx Coffee Lab and La Colombe Coffee Roasters. Dark Matter Coffee is listed as a regional player.
Does Modest Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Modest Coffee.