Elm Coffee Roasters
Elm Coffee Roasters is a Seattle-based specialty coffee roaster founded in 2015, selling high-scoring single-origin coffees direct-to-consumer via Shopify, through a Pioneer Square cafe, and via wholesale to cafes and restaurants across the US and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSeattle, Washington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Elm Coffee Roasters does
Elm Coffee Roasters is a privately held specialty coffee roaster founded in 2015 and headquartered in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood at 240 2nd Avenue South. The company sources single-origin coffees scoring 86+ points on the SCA scale from producers in Ethiopia, Colombia, Mexico, and other origin countries, working through green coffee importers including Shared Source (primary Latin American supplier), Cafe Imports, Atlas, Crop to Cup, and Covoya. Roasting is performed on a traditional drum roaster, with sample roasting handled on an Ikawa Pro electric hot air roaster (50-500g batches) for pre-ship and arrival cupping-based quality control.
The business operates across three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through a Shopify storefront with a roast-to-order fulfillment model roasting and shipping Mondays and Thursdays against a 9am PST deadline; a physical cafe at the Pioneer Square headquarters serving coffee beverages and natural wine to-go (via drinkOKwines); and a wholesale B2B program supplying cafes, restaurants, and coffee carts of all sizes. Product revenue is generated from 10oz, 2lb, and 5lb retail bags at $23-$26.50, three subscription clubs (Elm Coffee Club for filter, Elm Espresso Club for the 9 Swans blend, and Elm Decaf Club), pre-paid 3/6/9/12-month plans priced at $75/$148/$220/$290, and brewing equipment including the Fellow Ode Gen 2 grinder, Hario V60, Aeropress with Fellow Prismo, Tricolate brewer, and Baratza grinders.
The team is small (1-10 employees), with Sean Blomgren serving as Head of Production and Brendan Mullally as an author of company content. The company is founder-controlled with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no institutional investment. Distribution is limited to the US and Canada, with international shipping available only upon inquiry. Marketing relies on a content-forward blog strategy, monthly public cupping events, an email newsletter, and organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram.
Elm Coffee Roasters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elm Coffee Roasters
- Legal name
- Elm Coffee Roasters
- Website
- https://elmroasters.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Elm Coffee Roasters is a Seattle-based specialty coffee roaster founded in 2015, selling high-scoring single-origin coffees direct-to-consumer via Shopify, through a Pioneer Square cafe, and via wholesale to cafes and restaurants across the US and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elm Coffee Roasters industry classification
Industry- 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), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)
Keywords
Where Elm Coffee Roasters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle, Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Elm Coffee Roasters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Consumer Coffee Sales: Online sales of single-origin specialty coffees through Shopify e-commerce platform. Products sold in 10oz, 2lb, and 5lb quantities with prices ranging from $23-$26.50 per bag.
- Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription service with Elm Coffee Club (filter-focused), Elm Espresso Club (9 Swans blend), and Elm Decaf Club. Pre-paid plans available in 3, 6, 9, and 12-month terms. Subscriptions roasted and shipped Mondays exclusively.
- Wholesale B2B: Wholesale supply to cafes, restaurants, and coffee carts of all sizes. Contact through wholesale inquiry form on website.
- Cafe Retail: Physical cafe serving in Pioneer Square, Seattle offering coffee beverages and wine to-go.
- Accessories and Equipment: Sale of brewing equipment and accessories including Fellow Ode grinder, Fellow Prismo, Hario V60, Aeropress, Baratza grinders, Tricolate brewer, and related accessories.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single-origin coffee bags (10oz, 2lb, 5lb) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Elm Coffee Club Subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 3-Month Pre-Paid Subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 6-Month Pre-Paid Subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 9-Month Pre-Paid Subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 12-Month Pre-Paid Subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Espresso Subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Decaf Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brewing Equipment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Elm Coffee Roasters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elm Coffee Roasters is a Seattle-based specialty coffee roaster that sources single-origin coffees from small producers in Ethiopia, Colombia, and Mexico, working with green coffee importers such as Shared Source, Cafe Imports, Atlas, Crop to Cup, and Covoya. The company roasts on a drum roaster with sample roasting performed on an Ikawa Pro electric hot air roaster, and ships roast-to-order online orders on Mondays and Thursdays. The company sells coffee through its Shopify e-commerce site, three subscription clubs (Elm Coffee Club, Elm Espresso Club, Elm Decaf Club), a wholesale program to cafes and restaurants, a Pioneer Square cafe, and a curated selection of brewing equipment.
Product overview
Elm Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster based in Seattle, Washington operating as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business with a physical cafe in Pioneer Square. Their product portfolio centers on single origin specialty coffees sold as retail bags in multiple sizes, complemented by three coffee subscription clubs (Elm Coffee Club for filter/espresso, Espresso Club featuring the 9 Swans blend, and Decaf Club), and pre-paid multi-month subscription options. They also retail brewing equipment including the Fellow Ode grinder, Hario V60, Aeropress with Fellow Prismo attachment, and Tricolate brewer. The company sources from producers in Ethiopia, Colombia, Mexico, and other origin countries, working with importers including Shared Source, Cafe Imports, Atlas, Crop to Cup, and Covoya.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 9 Swans: A rotating single origin coffee roasted to be excellent prepared both as espresso or a more developed filter brew. Selected as house espresso blend with richer flavor profile, more caramelized sugars and slightly muted acidity.
- Elm Coffee Club
- Elm Espresso Club
- Elm Decaf Club
Products and services
- Single Origin Coffees
Quantifiable outcome
- Coffees sourced typically score 86+ on 100-point specialty coffee scale
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Elm Coffee Roasters
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Elm Coffee Roasters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Elm Coffee Roasters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.
- Shared SourcecorePrimary green coffee supplier for Latin American coffees. Provides green coffee buying and manages sales and US operations. Offers pre-harvest loans (anticipos) at 0% interest to producers and has established long-term relationships with producers. Shared Source also contributes to community development funds through Fair for Life certification.
- Holy Mountain BreweryminorCollaborative partnership creating two coffee-infused beers: Shadowlifter Coffee Milk Stout and Midnight Still Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, both made with Elm's Nine Swans blend.
- drinkOKwinesminorSeattle-based natural wine distributor. Elm sells drinkOKwines bottles to-go at their Pioneer Square cafe location. Products include Le Fraghe Rodon (Italian rosé), Haute Cot(e) de Fruit (Malbec), Bianco from Villa Job, Marche Passerina, and Ferrando lambrusco.
- CovoyasupportingGreen coffee importer, one of several importers Elm works with for sourcing high-quality lots.
- Cafe ImportssupportingGreen coffee importer, one of several importers Elm works with for sourcing high-quality lots.
- Atlas Coffee ImporterssupportingGreen coffee importer, one of several importers Elm works with for sourcing high-quality lots.
- Crop to CupsupportingGreen coffee importer, one of several importers Elm works with for sourcing high-quality lots.
- FellowsupportingRetails Fellow brewing equipment including Ode Gen 2 grinder, Prismo attachment for Aeropress, and Stagg kettle at the cafe and online.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform powering the elmcoffeeroasters.com online store. Provides online sales infrastructure, payment processing, and order management.
- Google AnalyticssupportingWeb analytics service used to understand how customers browse and interact with the website, and to assess marketing campaign effectiveness.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Elm Coffee Roasters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heart Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with single-origin focus, light roast profile, and DTC plus cafe retail model. Comparable in light-roast philosophy, producer-direct sourcing, and small-batch craft positioning.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Durham, NC-based specialty coffee roaster with direct trade sourcing, sustainability focus, DTC subscriptions, and a national wholesale program. Highly comparable in producer relationships, cupping-led quality control, and education-driven marketing.
- Verve Coffee Roasters: Santa Cruz-based specialty roaster with DTC e-commerce, subscription service, wholesale program, and multiple retail cafes. Comparable as a third-wave single-origin roaster with similar subscription and cafe channel mix.
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Philadelphia-based specialty coffee roaster operating DTC e-commerce, subscriptions, wholesale, and a national cafe footprint. Comparable in multi-channel model and subscription-led recurring revenue.
- Victrola Coffee Roasters: Seattle-based specialty roaster with cafes, wholesale, and DTC. Direct Seattle competitor with overlapping multi-channel model and similar specialty single-origin positioning.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty coffee roaster with DTC e-commerce, wholesale program, and cafes. Closely comparable third-wave roaster serving similar single-origin-focused customer base with overlapping producer relationships and roast-to-order-style operations.
- Onyx Coffee Lab: Northwest Arkansas specialty roaster focused on competition-grade, high-scoring single-origin coffees sold via DTC, subscription, and wholesale. Highly comparable in premium quality positioning and direct producer relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Nestle-owned specialty coffee brand operating DTC e-commerce, subscriptions, wholesale, and a large cafe network. Comparable in core product and channels but at significantly larger scale and broader distribution than Elm.
Regional players
- Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co. Seattle-based specialty roaster with cafes, wholesale, and DTC. Most direct Seattle geography overlap, competing for the same local wholesale accounts and home consumers.
- Espresso Vivace Roasteria: Seattle-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe with strong espresso focus. Comparable Seattle specialty market presence and customer base, though historically more espresso-led than single-origin filter focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Elm Coffee Roasters social profiles
Digital presenceElm Coffee Roasters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elm Coffee Roasters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Elm Coffee Roasters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elm Coffee Roasters 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 Elm Coffee Roasters
What does Elm Coffee Roasters do?
Elm Coffee Roasters is a Seattle-based specialty coffee roaster that sources single-origin coffees from small producers in Ethiopia, Colombia, and Mexico, working with green coffee importers such as Shared Source, Cafe Imports, Atlas, Crop to Cup, and Covoya. The company roasts on a drum roaster with sample roasting performed on an Ikawa Pro electric hot air roaster, and ships roast-to-order online orders on Mondays and Thursdays. The company sells coffee through its Shopify e-commerce site, three subscription clubs (Elm Coffee Club, Elm Espresso Club, Elm Decaf Club), a wholesale program to cafes and restaurants, a Pioneer Square cafe, and a curated selection of brewing equipment.
Is Elm Coffee Roasters a public or private company?
Elm Coffee Roasters is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Elm Coffee Roasters founded?
Elm Coffee Roasters was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Elm Coffee Roasters based?
Elm Coffee Roasters is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Elm Coffee Roasters make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Direct Consumer Coffee Sales are the primary driver. The others are coffee Subscriptions, wholesale B2B, cafe Retail and accessories and Equipment.
Who are Elm Coffee Roasters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heart Roasters, Counter Culture Coffee, Verve Coffee Roasters, La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Victrola Coffee Roasters, Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Onyx Coffee Lab. Blue Bottle Coffee is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co. and Espresso Vivace Roasteria.
Does Elm Coffee Roasters have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elm Coffee Roasters.
What industry is Elm Coffee Roasters in?
Elm Coffee Roasters's product category is Specialty Coffee Roasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAE, Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes), with a secondary code of AFAFADAB, Coffee Roasting & Grinding. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.