What Mr. Espresso does

Mr. Espresso is a family-owned, second-generation coffee roastery founded in 1978 by Carlo Di Ruocco, who brought the Neapolitan oak wood roasting technique from Salerno, Italy, to Oakland, California. The company's core technology is a wood-fire roasting process in which higher-moisture heat from oak wood slowly envelops beans, preserving oils and producing espresso with more crema, fuller flavor, and lower acidity. Mr. Espresso roasts more than 100,000 pounds of coffee annually, qualifying for the Macro Roaster category, and operates a single roastery at 696 3rd Street, Oakland.

The business runs four complementary revenue streams: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of roasted coffee beans (12oz bags at $16-$28), single origins, and blends via mrespresso.com, with a subscription option offering 5% recurring savings; (2) wholesale B2B coffee supply to restaurants, cafes, hotels, and offices, often bundled with equipment, repair/maintenance, staff training, and ongoing coffee program guidance; (3) hardware sales of premium home and commercial espresso machines from Rocket Espresso, La Marzocco, and Faema; and (4) retail coffee bar revenue from The Caffè by Mr. Espresso, the company's first brick-and-mortar location opened in Spring 2023 in downtown Oakland at 1120 Broadway. The product portfolio spans signature blends (Neapolitan, Tuscan, Golden Gate), single origins (Ethiopia Shantawene, Guatemala CODECH Women's Lot, Mexico Mayan Village, D.R. Congo, Sumatra Bener Meriah), compostable single-serve bags, and equipment.

Mr. Espresso pioneered Certified Organic coffee production in 1992 and Fair Trade USA designation in 1999, and now holds Regenerative Organic Certified credentials. The company maintains direct sourcing relationships with women-led farms and cooperatives across Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Congo, and Indonesia. Its second-generation leadership team — Luigi Di Ruocco (VP of Sales & Marketing), John Di Ruocco (VP of Coffee, 2024 Sprudge Twenty honoree), and Laura Di Ruocco — manages day-to-day operations, supported by a small team. Distribution is structured around direct e-commerce (nationwide), a regional wholesale footprint anchored in the Bay Area with national accounts, and a single retail coffee bar. The company remains privately held with no external funding rounds or M&A activity identified.

Name

Mr. Espresso

Legal name

Mr. Espresso

Website

https://mrespresso.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mr. Espresso is a family-owned Oakland coffee roastery founded in 1978, specializing in oak wood-roasted Italian-style espresso sold through e-commerce, wholesale to restaurants and cafes, equipment sales, and its flagship Oakland coffee bar, The Caffè.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Coffee, Espresso & Tea Appliances Retail (CRACADAC)

Keywords

• Wood roasted coffee
• Specialty espresso
• Espresso equipment
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Single origin coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of roasted coffee beans (12oz bags) through e-commerce website. Products include espressos, single origins, blends, and Fair Trade Organics. Subscription model available with 5% savings for recurring orders.
2. Equipment Sales: Sales of home espresso machines, commercial equipment, and coffee gear. Includes equipment packages for wholesale accounts with repair/maintenance services.
3. Wholesale Coffee: B2B sales to restaurants, cafes, hotels, and office coffee programs. Includes equipment provision, staff training, and ongoing coffee program support.
4. Retail Coffee Bar: Revenue from The Caffè by Mr. Espresso, their first brick-and-mortar retail location serving specialty coffee drinks directly to consumers in downtown Oakland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mr. Espresso roasts and sells specialty coffee beans using a proprietary oak wood roasting technique brought from Italy. Its offerings include signature espresso blends (Neapolitan, Tuscan, Golden Gate), single origin coffees, Fair Trade and Organic lines, and compostable single-serve bags, alongside home and commercial espresso equipment, a wholesale coffee program with equipment, training and maintenance, and a flagship retail coffee bar in downtown Oakland.

Product overview

Mr. Espresso is a family-owned coffee roastery founded in 1978 by Carlo Di Ruocco, specializing in oak wood-roasted espresso in the Italian tradition. The product portfolio centers on roasted coffee beans sold through retail (e-commerce and The Caffè brick-and-mortar location in downtown Oakland) and wholesale channels (restaurants, cafes, hospitality, office). Core coffee offerings include signature blends (Neapolitan Espresso, Tuscan Espresso, Golden Gate House Blend) and single origins (Collezione Di Caffè line featuring Ethiopia Shantewene, Guatemala CODECH Women's Lots, Mexico Mayan Village, D.R. Congo). The company also sells commercial and home espresso equipment (Rocket Espresso, La Marzocco, Faema) and launched Steeped Single Serve compostable coffee bags in 2020. Supporting services include wholesale supply programs with equipment packages, maintenance, and barista training. The company holds Fair Trade, Organic (CCOF), and Regenerative Organic Certified certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Caffè by Mr. Espresso: The company's first brick-and-mortar retail coffee bar location in downtown Oakland, featuring Italian-inspired espresso drinks and specialty coffee beverages.

Products and services

• Neapolitan Espresso

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning coffees recognized by Good Food Foundation, Saveur Best Espresso Beans, and Roast Magazine Roaster of the Year finalist

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Food 4 FarmerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2020Long-term partnership supporting Maya Ixil farmers in Guatemala. Food 4 Farmers works to improve livelihoods of coffee-farming families through sustainable food security programs. Mr. Espresso participates in Taste of the Holidays fundraising and ongoing community support initiatives.
• Daye Bensa CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEthiopian coffee producer founded by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo in 2006. Sources Organic Ethiopia Shantawene from their farm in Sidama Zone at elevations of 6,562-7,274 feet. Recognized for organic farming methods and numerous Good Food Awards.
• CODECH (Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Desarrollo de Concepción Huista)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuatemalan cooperative founded in 2000 by small acreage farmers in Concepción Huista, Huehuetenango. Promotes socio-economic development, organic growing methods, and community health programs. Mr. Espresso sources Organic Guatemala CODECH Women's Lot.
• Mayan HarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee import/export company founded by Rosalba Cifuentes Tovía, sourcing from Bella Vista, Chiapas, Mexico. Works with 168 women producers of small acreage farms. Provides direct traceability in export/import process for Mexico Mayan Village Women's Lot.
• Central Sumatera Coffee (CSC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung coffee group that began selling to the United States in 2024. Sources estate-grown Sumatra Bener Meriah from fertile Aceh Province at approximately 4,600 feet elevation in volcanic loam soil.
• No Kid HungryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational campaign working to end child hunger in America. Mr. Espresso participates through Taste of the Holidays fundraising events, supporting food insecurity relief efforts.
• World Coffee ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization working to advance coffee agriculture through research. Mr. Espresso displays World Coffee Research logo indicating support for their global coffee research initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with comparable multi-channel strategy (DTC, wholesale, cafes), similar bean pricing tier, and emphasis on direct trade sourcing. Closest peer by business model and scale of wholesale + retail footprint.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Philadelphia-based specialty roaster operating a national network of cafes plus wholesale and DTC channels. Comparable multi-channel specialty coffee business with similar premium positioning.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster known for Direct Trade relationships and premium single-origin coffees. Similar positioning in the upper-tier specialty roaster segment with both wholesale and DTC channels.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Durham, NC specialty roaster with strong sustainability and direct-trade programs, comparable wholesale training/support model and DTC subscription business.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Santa Cruz-origin specialty roaster with DTC, wholesale, and cafe operations on the West Coast. Comparable in craft positioning, retail expansion strategy, and emphasis on direct-origin sourcing.
• Ritual Coffee Roasters: San Francisco Bay Area specialty roaster with strong local wholesale and retail presence. Directly comparable as a regional craft roaster competing for the same Bay Area hospitality accounts.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Oakland-based specialty coffee roaster founded in 2003 with deep Bay Area roots, multi-channel DTC/wholesale/retail cafe operations, and similar craft-coffee positioning. Both companies emphasize origin transparency, premium pricing, and Italian-inspired espresso heritage.

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Bay Area heritage coffee company founded in 1966 with significantly larger scale across grocery, wholesale, and retail. Overlaps in Bay Area wholesale and Italian-style espresso heritage but operates at much broader mass-market scale.

Emerging players

• Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland-based craft specialty roaster with smaller production scale than Mr. Espresso. Comparable in craft coffee positioning and direct-trade sourcing but lacks Mr. Espresso's wholesale scale and wood-roasting heritage.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Arkansas-based specialty roaster with strong competition pedigree and direct-trade emphasis. Comparable in craft positioning and award-winning product quality, though smaller in wholesale distribution scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OakWoodRoasted
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Mr-Espresso/91260158281
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mr-espresso

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Mr. Espresso