Morning Star Coffee

What Morning Star Coffee does

Morningstar Coffee Company is a Minneapolis-based, family-owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 1990 that sells whole-bean, ground, and single-serve coffee products under its own brand. The company sources coffee from farms worldwide, including an owned family farm in Brazil, and positions itself around organic, fair-trade, and sustainable practices. Its catalog of 19 products spans light to dark roasts, decaf, and single-origin varieties, offered in multiple weights (1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb) and grind sizes.

The business operates on a dual-channel go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer sales flow through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront at morningstarcoffee.com, while B2B sales target coffee shops and restaurants seeking customized coffee programs that include custom blend creation, equipment matching, and ongoing service support. Pricing is unit-based (pay-as-you-go) with no subscription or recurring contract mechanics disclosed; example SKUs include a $14.00 1 lb Espresso Decaf and a $70.00 Breakfast Blend Regular bulk offering. No proprietary technology, software platform, or AI capabilities underpin the business — the operational backbone is standard Shopify e-commerce plus physical roasting and wholesale fulfillment.

Revenue is generated entirely from product sales on a transactional basis. The company is privately held, bootstrapped across multiple family generations, with no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, and an 11–50 employee footprint. Operations remain concentrated in the Minneapolis metropolitan area, with US-wide shipping implied by the e-commerce channel but no evidence of national marketing or distribution partnerships.

Name

Morning Star Coffee

Legal name

Morningstar Coffee Company

Website

https://morningstarcoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Morningstar Coffee is a Minneapolis-based, family-owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 1990 that sells whole-bean, ground, and single-serve coffee through a Shopify DTC storefront and custom B2B programs for coffee shops and restaurants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Morningstar Coffee generates revenue through direct sales of coffee products including whole bean coffee, ground coffee, and single-serve formats. Products are sold at various weight options (1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb) with different roast varieties and origins. Revenue is generated on a per-transaction basis with no recurring subscription component mentioned.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Morningstar Coffee roasts and sells specialty coffee beans, ground coffee, and single-serve pods through its own Shopify-powered e-commerce store for individual consumers. It also offers a B2B custom coffee program for cafés and restaurants, providing tailored equipment recommendations, custom blend creation, and ongoing service and supply support. The company sources green coffee from farms worldwide, including its own family farm in Brazil, and emphasizes organic and fair-trade practices.

Product overview

Morning Star Coffee is a Minneapolis-based specialty coffee roaster and e-commerce retailer offering a portfolio of 19 coffee products. The product line consists of two main categories: Coffee Beans & Ground Coffee (bulk bags in multiple roast levels including Breakfast Blend, Espresso Gold, Espresso Decaf, Ethiopian Sidamo, French Roast, Guatemalan FTO, House Blend Decaf, Italian Roast FTO, and Vienna Roast) and Coffee Pods & Capsules (single-serve formats including Breakfast Blend, Colombian, French Roast, Guatemalan, and Rainforest varieties). The company also offers custom coffee program services for businesses, including equipment matching and custom blend creation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Breakfast Blend Regular Breakfast Blend Regular whole-bean and ground coffee sold in bulk 5 lb format, listed at $70.00 USD, for retail and foodservice customers.
• Espresso Decaf Decaffeinated espresso roast coffee available in whole bean or ground format in 1 lb or 5 lb bags, listed at $14.00 USD for 1 lb, for at-home or café espresso service.
• Espresso Gold Espresso Gold roast coffee sold in 5 lb bag format at $14.00 USD, targeted at espresso programs for cafés and restaurants.
• Ethiopian Sidamo Single-origin coffee sourced from the Sidama region of Ethiopia, medium roast with bright acidity, floral aromatics, and subtle fruit notes, sold at $14.00 USD.
• French Roast FTO Fair Trade Organic French Roast coffee in 5 lb bulk packaging for foodservice and retail customers.
• Guatemalan FTO Fair Trade Organic Guatemalan single-origin coffee in 5 lb bulk packaging for cafés and retail customers.
• House Blend Decaf FTO Fair Trade Organic decaffeinated House Blend coffee in 5 lb bulk packaging for foodservice and retail customers.
• Italian Roast FTO Fair Trade Organic Italian Roast coffee sold in bulk packaging for traditional espresso-based coffee programs.
• Vienna Roast Vienna roast coffee between medium and dark, offering a balanced cup with reduced acidity and silky body, with notes of caramelized sugar and bittersweet chocolate.
• Morningstar Coffee Breakfast Blend (12 oz retail) Retail 12 oz format of the Breakfast Blend roast sold directly to consumers through the Morningstar Coffee Shopify storefront.
• Morningstar Coffee Colombian Blend (12 oz retail) Retail 12 oz Colombian Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers via the Shopify storefront.
• Morningstar Coffee French Roast Blend (12 oz retail) Retail 12 oz French Roast Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers via the Shopify storefront.
• Morningstar Coffee Guatemalan Blend (12 oz retail) Retail 12 oz Guatemalan Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers via the Shopify storefront.
• Morningstar Coffee Rainforest Blend (12 oz retail) Retail 12 oz Rainforest Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers via the Shopify storefront.
• Morningstar Coffee Single Serve Breakfast Blend (12-count pods) Single-serve 12-count pod box of Breakfast Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers for pod-brewing convenience.
• Morningstar Coffee Single Serve Colombia Blend (12-count pods) Single-serve 12-count pod box of Colombian Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers for pod-brewing convenience.
• Morningstar Coffee Single Serve French Roast Blend (12-count pods) Single-serve 12-count pod box of French Roast Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers for pod-brewing convenience.
• Morningstar Coffee Single Serve Guatemalan (12-count pods) Single-serve 12-count pod box of Guatemalan roast coffee sold directly to consumers for pod-brewing convenience.
• Morningstar Coffee Single Serve Rainforest (12-count pods) Single-serve 12-count pod box of Rainforest Blend roast coffee sold directly to consumers for pod-brewing convenience.
• Custom B2B Coffee Program Custom coffee program for coffee shops and restaurants that includes matching the proper equipment, creating a custom coffee blend, and providing reliable ongoing service and supply support.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fair Trade CertifiedcoreOthersMorningstar Coffee is committed to fair-trade practices, ensuring farmers are paid fairly while supporting sustainable practices and long-term community stability. Fair Trade certification helps ensure better care at origin and contributes to noticeably better cup quality.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Counter Culture Coffee: Durham, NC-based specialty roaster with a strong direct-trade, sustainability narrative and a focus on wholesale customers plus DTC e-commerce. Comparable in mission-driven sourcing, custom training, and B2B service-led model to cafes and restaurants.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster (now owned by Peet's/Nestle JAB) selling whole bean, ground, cold brew, and single-serve pods via DTC and wholesale. Comparable product range, packaging formats, and cafe/restaurant wholesale channel.
• Equal Exchange: Worker-cooperative specialty roaster focused on fair-trade, organic coffee distributed through wholesale, grocery, and DTC channels. Comparable ethical-sourcing mission, multi-origin product range, and B2B foodservice relationships.
• Kicking Horse Coffee: Independently owned Canadian specialty roaster selling organic, fair-trade whole bean and ground coffee direct-to-consumer and through wholesale accounts. Closely comparable to Morningstar in scale, fair-trade positioning, multi-format product range, and dual DTC/wholesale GTM.
• Peace Coffee: Minneapolis-based fair-trade, organic specialty roaster serving wholesale cafes, restaurants, and DTC customers. Highly comparable on geography, mission-driven sourcing, B2B wholesale model, and product mix.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster historically known for direct-trade sourcing and barista/wholesale programs serving cafes and restaurants. Similar B2B custom blend, training, and single-origin specialty positioning as Morningstar.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Nestle-owned specialty roaster with DTC subscriptions, cafes, and wholesale accounts across major US metros. Larger and broader incumbent offering overlapping whole-bean, ground, and single-serve products targeting similar cafe/restaurant customers.
• Peet's Coffee: Major US specialty coffee brand (JAB-owned) with broad DTC, grocery, and foodservice distribution. Overlaps with Morningstar in B2B wholesale supply to cafes and restaurants and in bagged/single-serve retail coffee.
• Illy Caffè: Italian premium espresso brand with global wholesale and DTC operations, including pod systems and foodservice programs. Comparable espresso-blend product line and B2B foodservice positioning to Morningstar's espresso offerings.

Regional players

• Caribou Coffee: Headquartered in nearby Minneapolis/Brooklyn Center, Caribou operates a much larger retail and wholesale coffee business in the Upper Midwest. Most relevant as a regional incumbent competing for the same Minneapolis B2B accounts and consumer mindshare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morningstar-coffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Morning Star Coffee