Upper Left Roasters

What Upper Left Roasters does

Upper Left Roasters is a Portland, Oregon specialty coffee roaster and café operator founded in 2015 by Katherine Harris in the historic Ladd's Addition neighborhood. The company roasts small-batch coffee daily and operates a single flagship café at 1204 SE Clay Street, combining food service, coffee retail, merchandise, and event hosting under a community-hub model. The product portfolio spans year-round single-origin coffees (Ethiopia, Kenya, Peru, Rwanda, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico), signature blends (Espresso, Ladd's, Dark Roast, Decaf), seasonal limited releases, branded merchandise (Kinto tumbler, apparel, artist collab hats), and digital gift cards. Roasting methods include a custom espresso blend development technique and a fast-heat dark roast method that preserves origin character.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: direct-to-consumer retail at the café (coffee, food, merchandise), online e-commerce shipping nationwide, a B2B wholesale program supplying other cafés and restaurants with training and technical support via a partnership with Black Rabbit Coffee Services, and a Coffee Club subscription service delivered through the Table22 platform. Pricing is unit-based, with 285g bags at $22–$30, 1.1kg at $120–$155, and 2.2kg at $125–$145; merchandise ranges from $27–$55; and gift cards run in $10–$100 denominations.

The company is privately held and founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Geographic reach is concentrated in the Portland metro area, while the e-commerce channel extends shipping domestically. Sourcing relies on direct-trade relationships with producer cooperatives including ASTAL (La Yerba Mujeres, Mexico), Chirinos (Peru), Nyampinga (Rwanda), and Donas do Café (Brazil), supported by import partner San Cristobal Coffee Importers. Upper Left has earned regional recognition in Condé Nast Traveler, Eater, Portland Monthly, The Sprudge, and the Travel Channel as a notable Portland specialty coffee destination.

Name

Upper Left Roasters

Legal name

Upper Left Roasters

Website

https://upperleftroasters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Upper Left Roasters is a privately held, founder-owned Portland specialty coffee roaster operating a single Ladd's Addition café since 2015, serving specialty coffee enthusiasts via retail, e-commerce, wholesale, and subscription channels.

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 Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Single origin coffee
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Café services
• Coffee subscription

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Direct sales of bagged coffee through café locations and online store. Includes single-origin, blends, and limited release offerings. Sold in 285g, 1.1kg, and 2.2kg sizes.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded goods including apparel (tees, crewnecks, hats, beanies), tumblers, and limited-edition artist collaborations.
3. Wholesale Coffee Program: B2B sales of coffee to other cafés, restaurants, and retailers. Includes training, technical support, and ongoing supply relationship.
4. E-Gift Cards: Digital gift cards for online store purchases and café visits. Offered in denominations from $10-$100.
5. Event Hosting: Private venue rentals for events including private dinners, corporate gatherings, and launch events. Includes optional wine, drinks, coffee service, and custom cocktails.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Upper Left Roasters is a Portland-based specialty coffee roaster that sources seasonal coffees and roasts them in small batches daily at its Ladd's Addition café. It sells freshly roasted single-origin coffees and signature blends through its retail café, an e-commerce storefront, and a wholesale program serving other cafés and restaurants. The business also offers branded merchandise, gift cards, a Coffee Club subscription, and event-hosting services at its flagship location.

Product overview

Upper Left Roasters is a Portland, Oregon specialty coffee roaster offering a diverse portfolio of single-origin coffees and house blends. The product line includes year-round staples (Espresso, Ladd's neighborhood blend, Dark Roast, Decaf) alongside rotating single origins from major coffee regions including Ethiopia, Kenya, Peru, Rwanda, Brazil, Guatemala, and Mexico. The company also sells branded merchandise (tumblers, apparel, hats) and gift cards. Services include a Coffee Club subscription through Table22, wholesale programs for business partners, and event hosting at their Ladd's Addition café. Educational brew guides support home brewing enthusiasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Abyssinian, Ethiopia Year-round single-origin Ethiopian coffee from Sidama and Limmu regions offering notes of vanilla, floral, and golden raspberry, with lots selected throughout the year to showcase the best of Ethiopian coffee.
• Andino, Peru Organically grown single-origin coffee from the Chirinos cooperative in San Ignacio, Cajamarca, Peru, featuring notes of dark chocolate, stone fruit, and hazelnut.
• Espresso Blend Café-standard espresso blend combining Costa Rica and Ethiopia origins, roasted to minimize acidity and highlight sweet fruit notes; designed for espresso extraction and compatible with french press or drip brewing.
• Ladd's Drip Blend Neighborhood blend named after the Ladd's Addition community combining Guatemala and Colombia origins with notes of caramel, pear, and navel orange; roasted for easy everyday brewing.
• Kiambu Karatu AA Kenya Limited-release single-origin Kenyan coffee from the Karatu Coffee Factory in Kiambu featuring SL28 variety at 1850-1883 MASL, washed process with notes of kumquat, vanilla, and candy orange peel.
• Sunny Daze Summer Blend Seasonal blend of Ethiopian and Rwanda coffees featuring light melon and stone fruit notes, available in filter and cold drip preparations.
• La Yerba Mujeres, Mexico Single-origin Mexican coffee from La Yerba, Tepic, Nayarit, produced by the ASTAL Women's Producing Society with notes of cocoa nib, dried cherry, and honeysuckle, processed as natural dried cherry.
• Brazuca, Brazil Single-origin Brazilian coffee from South of Minas produced by Donas do Café, featuring Yellow and Red Catuaí varieties at 1060-1260 meters with notes of almond butter, dried cranberry, and graham cracker.
• Nyampinga, Rwanda Fully Washed Women's cooperative coffee from Nyampinga in Nyaruguru District, Rwanda, fully washed with stone fruit, white grape, and honey graham notes.
• Nyampinga, Rwanda Natural Natural process Rwandan coffee from the Nyampinga women's cooperative, dried as whole cherries on raised beds to impart complex, sweet, jammy fruit-forward characteristics.
• Chapina, Guatemala All-Guatemalan blend anchored by Huehuetenango region coffees featuring milk chocolate, nougat, and apple notes, representing reliable excellence of Guatemalan coffee year-round.
• Dark Roast Bold dark roast blend of Rwanda and Costa Rica coffees with baker's chocolate, molasses, and compote notes, designed for traditional dark roast lovers.
• Decaf Decaffeinated Colombian blend using sugarcane processing, caturra variety at 1500 meters with hazelnut brittle, malty, and baked orange notes.
• Online E-Gift Card Digital gift card for online store purchases, available in $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations, redeemable for any product on the website.
• Cafe E-Gift Card E-gift card for in-café purchases of coffee and food, purchasable through the Square takeout site.
• Logo Tumbler 12oz double-walled vacuum-insulated Kinto travel mug featuring the Upper Left Roasters logo, keeping drinks hot or cold for hours without condensation.
• Logo Cable Beanie Classic arrow logo cable knit beanie with ribbed knit finish and cuffed hem, available in natural or red dye in a limited fisherman-style run.
• Ladd's Addition Hat Unstructured 100% cotton dad hat with embroidered front and back Upper Left Roasters logo and adjustable rear brass buckle closure.
• Crewneck Sweatshirt Relaxed fit mid-weight 9.4oz fleece pullover crewneck with drop shoulder design and screen-printed front and back Upper Left Roasters graphics.
• Paprika Illustrated Tee Screen-printed heavyweight Comfort Colors vintage-look t-shirt with relaxed fit tubular body, pre-shrunk during garment dye and wash, available in sizes S-XL.
• Ivory Illustrated Tee Screen-printed heavyweight Comfort Colors vintage-look t-shirt with relaxed fit tubular body, pre-shrunk, available in sizes S-XL.
• Limited-Release Artist Series Hat Limited edition collaboration hat with local illustrator Mariah Barnaby-Norris, one-size-fits-all, created for cooler weather release.
• Wholesale Program Comprehensive B2B wholesale partnership program for cafés, restaurants, and retailers that includes training, technical support, equipment assistance through Black Rabbit Coffee Services, menu development, and quarterly tech support.
• Event Hosting Private event hosting at the Ladd's Addition café for corporate gatherings, launch events, and private dinners, with options for custom cocktails, curated wine and beer, or full coffee service.
• Coffee Club Membership Community subscription membership offered through the Table22 platform, providing personalized coffee selections, exclusive access to limited-edition coffees, and member perks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in Condé Nast Traveler's 14 Best Coffee Shops in Portland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Black Rabbit Coffee ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partnership for wholesale customer support. Assists wholesale partners with equipment selection for new or existing café operations. Enables comprehensive coffee program setup for B2B customers.
• Katherine HarriscoreOthersOwner Katherine Harris provides one-on-one consultation for wholesale partners on key business decisions including café layout, menu development, and pricing. Provides hands-on expertise for successful partner café launches.
• CAVESUMEXsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexican coffee organization that helped establish ASTAL (La Yerba Mujeres coffee producer society) in 2012. Supports women producers in the La Yerba community of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.
• San Cristobal Coffee ImporterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee importer that partnered with CAESUMEX to help establish ASTAL in 2012. Supports import of La Yerba Mujeres, Mexico coffee and direct trade relationships.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator with similar origin-forward philosophy, retail café, wholesale program, and DTC e-commerce. Most direct geographic and conceptual competitor.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty roaster with sustainability-focused direct trade, training programs, and wholesale. Comparable in B2B training/wellness approach and craft sourcing.
• Equator Coffees: Specialty roaster with café-retail locations, wholesale, and DTC. Comparable in women-led operations, direct trade relationships, and café-roastery hybrid model.
• Portland Roasting Coffee: Portland-based roaster offering wholesale, private label, and DTC coffee. Comparable in roasting/wholesale mix with regional reach.
• Coava Coffee Roasters: Portland specialty roaster with a flagship café, direct trade sourcing, and wholesale distribution. Operates the same roastery-café hybrid model with comparable scale.
• Sightglass Coffee: San Francisco specialty roaster combining roastery cafés, wholesale, and DTC. Same roastery-retail hybrid model with strong design and brand identity.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with multiple cafés, wholesale, and DTC e-commerce. Similar third-wave, design-forward brand and multi-channel revenue model.
• Water Avenue Coffee: Portland specialty coffee roaster with café and wholesale presence. Comparable in geography, business model, and target customer base.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Award-winning specialty roaster with café, DTC, and competition-grade coffee program. Comparable in craft-focused positioning and direct trade emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-originated third-wave pioneer now owned by Lavazza. Operates café-retail locations, wholesale, and DTC nationally at significantly larger scale; sets the benchmark for category leaders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/upperleftroasters
• Instagraminstagram.com/upperleftroasters
• Xx.com/upperleftroast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upper-left-roasters-ltd.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Upper Left Roasters