HoneyCo Coffee

What HoneyCo Coffee does

HoneyCo Coffee Roasters is a privately held specialty coffee roaster founded in January 2015 and headquartered on California's Central Coast. The company sources top-tier fresh-crop green coffees through direct relationships with international producers (Luis Pedro Zelaya/Zelaya Coffee in Guatemala, Banexport in Colombia, and CoopeDota in Costa Rica), purchasing what it characterizes as the top 1% of available lots at above-Fair-Trade prices. It sells roasted whole-bean and ground coffee primarily through a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce store that ships nationwide, with two physical retail locations operated by its sister company Scout Coffee in San Luis Obispo serving as both a brand experience channel and a pickup hub for online orders.

The product portfolio centers on eight core SKUs spanning light, medium, and dark roast profiles, including the Classic Espresso flagship, the Scout House Blend (formerly Colombia Granadilla), single-origin offerings (Colombia Sotara, Costa Rica Santa María, Ethiopia Kolla Bolcha), the Heirloom Blend (Colombia/Ethiopia), Matte Black Dark Roast, and the Swiss Water–processed Cuesta Decaf. Coffees are sold in 12oz, kilo (2.2lb), and 5lb sizes with multiple grind options and are priced in the $18.75–$19.95 range for the 12oz tier. Roasting operations migrated in 2024 from a nine-year-old San Luis Obispo warehouse (running a San Franciscan 25lb roaster near capacity) to a new, larger Morro Bay facility shared with Scout Coffee, equipped with a top-of-the-line Loring Kestrel 35 Kilo roaster that quadruples batch capacity.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) direct-to-consumer online sales (both one-time purchases and recurring subscriptions managed via ReCharge Payments, with subscribers receiving a 10% discount and the ability to pause, skip, or change cadence); (2) in-store retail at the two Scout Coffee cafés; and (3) B2B wholesale supply to corporate accounts such as SRAM's San Luis Obispo facility. A modest additional revenue line exists from physical and e-gift cards (Square-processed for e-gift cards), and the company participates in industry events such as the SCAA expo to build brand presence. HoneyCo is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with no disclosed outside capital, a 1–10 employee headcount, and no evidence of institutional investors or ownership transfers.

Name

HoneyCo Coffee

Legal name

HoneyCo Coffee Roasters

Website

https://honeycocoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HoneyCo Coffee Roasters is a California Central Coast specialty coffee company that sources top-grade green coffee directly from producers and sells roasted coffee via a Shopify DTC store, subscriptions, its sister Scout Coffee cafés, and B2B wholesale accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Green Coffee Processing (Hulling, Grading, Decaffeination) (AFAFADAA)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Coffee subscription service
• Direct trade coffee
• Single origin coffee
• Wholesale coffee supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Morro Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Online Coffee Sales: HoneyCo sells roasted whole bean coffee directly to consumers across the United States through their Shopify e-commerce store. Products are available in multiple sizes (12oz, kilo/2.2lb, 5lb) and grind options (whole bean, espresso, drip, coarse). One-time purchase is the base model, with a 10% discount offered for subscription orders.
2. Subscription / Recurring Coffee Delivery: Powered by ReCharge, customers can subscribe to regular coffee deliveries on customizable schedules (weekly to every 6 weeks). Subscriptions offer a 10% savings and allow pause, skip, update, or cancellation through the customer account portal.
3. B2B Wholesale Accounts: HoneyCo supplies coffee to wholesale accounts including SRAM bike components in San Luis Obispo and other B2B customers, providing a recurring revenue stream separate from direct consumer sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HoneyCo Coffee Roasters sources green coffee directly from producers in Guatemala, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica, roasts it at its Morro Bay facility on a Loring Kestrel 35 Kilo roaster, and sells the resulting whole bean and ground specialty coffees to U.S. consumers through a Shopify e-commerce store with an optional recurring subscription program, plus selected B2B wholesale accounts.

Product overview

HoneyCo Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee company offering a curated catalog of whole bean and ground coffees, primarily sourced through direct-to-producer relationships. The product portfolio centers on eight core coffee SKUs across light, medium, and dark roast profiles — including espresso blends, single origins, decaf, and seasonal blends — sold in 12oz, Kilo (2.2lb), and 5lb sizes. Coffee subscriptions are available via ReCharge Payments integration, and the company operates a subscription management portal. A Scout Coffee Gift Card product is also offered (for in-store use at Scout Coffee cafes). The company roasts at its Morro Bay facility (opened 2024) and serves customers nationally via its Shopify-powered ecommerce store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Scout House Blend: House blend formerly known as Colombia Granadilla, now rebranded as Scout House Blend. A medium roast primarily Colombian coffee with nougat, caramel, and light stone fruit acidity.
• HoneyCo Classic Espresso

Products and services

• Classic Espresso Flagship medium-roast espresso blend with notes of dark chocolate, stone fruit, and brown sugar. Sold whole bean or pre-ground in 12oz, Kilo (2.2lb), and 5lb sizes. HoneyCo's most popular home espresso and the blend served at all Scout Coffee locations.
• Scout House Blend (formerly Colombia Granadilla) Medium-roast primarily Colombian blend with notes of nougat, caramel, and light stone fruit acidity, sourced in part from the Colombia Sotara region. Sold as whole bean or pre-ground in 12oz, Kilo (2.2lb), and 5lb sizes.
• Colombia Sotara Medium-roast single-origin Colombian coffee from 10 producers in Sotará, Cauca. Tasting notes of caramel apple and dark chocolate with a clay mineral soil character. Castillo and Colombia varieties, fully washed, 1750–2050 masl.
• Costa Rica Santa María Single-origin coffee from the CoopeDota cooperative in Dota, San José, Costa Rica, with notes of Honeycrisp, caramel, and milk chocolate. Caturra and Catuai varieties from a certified carbon-neutral mill, 1550–1950 masl, eco-pulped and sun/mechanically dried.
• Cuesta Decaf Decaffeinated medium-roast blend with notes of dark chocolate, caramel, and brown sugar. Decaffeinated using the Swiss Water process, which is 100% chemical-free. Available in 5lb size.
• Ethiopia Kolla Bolcha Light-roast washed Ethiopian coffee from the Agaro region with notes of summer peach, honeydew, and jasmine. Ethiopia Landrace variety, 1900–2200 masl, organically grown and sun-dried on elevated tables.
• Heirloom Blend Light-roast blend of Colombian and Ethiopian coffees. Tasting notes of tangerine, wildflower honey, peach, and sparkling brightness. The two Colombian coffees provide base body and fruit acidity; the Ethiopia adds floral and fruit notes.
• Matte Black Dark Roast Dark-roast Colombian coffee with heavy body and bold, roast-forward character. Notes of chocolate and toasted marshmallow. Available in 12oz, Kilo (2.2lb), and 5lb sizes, whole bean or ground.
• Scout Coffee Gift Card Physical gift cards redeemable at both Scout Coffee locations in San Luis Obispo (1130 Garden Street or 880 Foothill Blvd) for in-store or scout-to-go.com pickup orders. Available in $25, $35, $50, $75, and $100 denominations; e-gift cards fulfilled via Square.
• Recurring Coffee Subscription Subscription coffee delivery service managed through the ReCharge platform on the HoneyCo website. Customers schedule recurring deliveries (weekly to every six weeks), receive a 10% discount, and can pause, skip, update, or cancel through the customer account portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Roasting capacity quadrupled with Loring Kestrel 35 Kilo roaster upgrade
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Luis Pedro Zelaya (LPZ / Zelaya Coffee)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2017Luis Pedro Zelaya is a renowned specialty coffee exporter based in Guatemala, known for producing some of the best Guatemalan coffees year after year. His buyer list includes top specialty coffee roasters. HoneyCo works directly with LPZ to source Guatemalan coffees, including the Bella Vista mill near Volcán de Agua in Antigua. HoneyCo participated in cupping sessions with LPZ's team, selecting multiple lots for their seasonal offerings. LPZ manages the supply chain from farm to export.
• Banexport (Colombian Coffee Export Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanexport is a Colombian export company that works directly with small family-owned farms in Colombia, providing logistical support for warehousing, milling, and export. For the Colombia Sotara lot, Banexport facilitated relationships with 10 producers in the Sotará municipality of Cauca. HoneyCo purchases coffee directly through this partnership, paying above Fair Trade prices and supporting producer reinvestment in farms and livelihoods.
• CoopeDota (Cooperativa de Caficultores de Dota R.L)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoopeDota is a Costa Rican coffee cooperative established in 1960, representing nearly 900 producer-members in the Dota canton. The cooperative features a certified carbon-neutral mill with hydro-powered energy, water-efficient eco-pulpers, and mechanical dryers fueled by coffee parchment. CoopeDota manages full traceability and quality control from cherry delivery through export. HoneyCo sources the Costa Rica Santa María coffee through this cooperative relationship.
• Verve CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerve Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster. HoneyCo and Verve Coffee buyers traveled together on the Guatemala 2017 sourcing trip, cupping and choosing lots collaboratively from Luis Pedro Zelaya's operations.
• ReCharge PaymentscoreTechnology or IntegrationReCharge is the subscription management platform powering HoneyCo's recurring coffee delivery program. The integration enables customers to subscribe, schedule deliveries (weekly to every 6 weeks), pause, skip, update, or cancel their subscription orders through HoneyCo's website. The ReCharge widget appears on product pages.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Direct peers

• Verve Coffee Roasters: California-based specialty coffee roaster operating DTC e-commerce, subscriptions, and multiple owned cafes with strong direct-sourcing relationships. Directly comparable to HoneyCo in geography, scale, channel mix, and product philosophy — and explicitly named as a joint sourcing-trip partner in HoneyCo's data.
• Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with DTC sales, a subscription program, and a flagship cafe. Comparable in size, product discipline, and direct-sourcing narrative.
• Sightglass Coffee: San Francisco specialty roaster combining DTC sales, subscriptions, and a multi-cafe retail footprint with a strong direct-trade sourcing story. Closely comparable in channel mix (roastery + cafes + e-commerce) and California-based premium positioning.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty roaster focused on direct-trade sourcing, DTC e-commerce, and wholesale to cafes/restaurants nationally. Comparable in single-origin emphasis and B2B wholesale orientation, though without the same owned-cafe depth.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering third-wave roaster operating DTC, subscriptions, and owned cafes/barista bars with a deep direct-trade program. Highly comparable product/customer profile though larger geographic footprint.
• Olympia Coffee Roasting Co. Pacific Northwest specialty roaster running DTC, subscription, and a small cafe footprint with a strong direct-trade and regenerative-sourcing story. Comparable scale and channel mix.
• Equator Coffees: Northern California specialty roaster with DTC, wholesale, and a multi-location cafe/wholesale business. Comparable in scale and in combining above-Fair-Trade sourcing with owned retail and online subscriptions.

Broad incumbents

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Pioneering third-wave roaster (owned by Peet's) with DTC, subscriptions, cafes, and broad wholesale. Comparable in direct-trade positioning but materially larger and now backed by a multinational parent.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: National specialty coffee brand operating DTC, subscriptions, and a large owned cafe footprint plus wholesale into foodservice. Comparable product/category and channel mix but with substantially broader scale and capital base.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: National specialty brand with DTC subscriptions and a large network of cafes. Highly comparable product/channel architecture but at multibillion-dollar scale and owned by Nestlé.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/HONEYCOCOFFEE
• Facebookfacebook.com/honeycocoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/honeyco-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 HoneyCo Coffee