clarity coffee

What clarity coffee does

Clarity Coffee is an Oklahoma City-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator founded in 2015 by Steve Willingham. The company roasts single-origin coffee in-house at a 12kg capacity (via affiliated KLLR Coffee equipment) and operates three retail cafe locations across the OKC metro (Downtown, Capitol Hill, and Midtown), complemented by a nationwide direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront shipping whole bean coffee in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb formats. The product portfolio includes single-origin whole bean coffees (Guatemala Max & Claudia Perez, Ethiopia Tigest Wako, Ethiopia Zelelu Ararso Moke, Decaf Peru via Swiss Water Process), freeze-dried instant coffee (Guatemala) produced through a partnership with Swift Cup, loose-leaf tea, and a curated merchandise and brew-gear catalog featuring Fellow, Chemex, Huskee, MiiR, Keep Cup, and notNeutral. Pricing is unit-based and publicly disclosed: espresso drinks range from $4–$7.50 in-cafe, whole bean from $19–$26 per 12oz bag online, with free shipping at $50+ and no subscription model.

The business operates four complementary revenue streams: in-cafe beverage and food sales, e-commerce whole bean and merchandise, a wholesale program supplying local cafes and restaurants, and seasonal/specialty drink programs that drive repeat visits and earned media. Distribution is omnichannel: physical retail, an integrated order-ahead platform at order.claritycoffee.com (Square-powered), Postmates delivery, and direct e-commerce. The go-to-market is a hybrid of direct-to-consumer (cafe + e-commerce), community-led growth (rotating local art displays, brew education, cycling community engagement, sustainability programming with Fertile Ground Cooperative), product-led growth (online store with brew guides), and enterprise/field-style wholesale. The wholesale business is locally scoped and the cafes are concentrated in a single metropolitan market, making geographic expansion the most material growth lever. Customer segments span specialty coffee consumers, wholesale food service accounts, and home brewing enthusiasts. Ownership is private and concentrated: Steve and Chelsea Willingham control the company, which has no disclosed institutional funding and operates with an 11–50 employee headcount band.

Name

clarity coffee

Legal name

Clarity Coffee

Website

https://claritycoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clarity Coffee is an Oklahoma City-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator founded in 2015, selling single-origin whole bean coffee, instant coffee, tea, and brew gear through three OKC cafes, nationwide e-commerce, and a local wholesale program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting & Cafe

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Single origin coffee
• Coffee wholesale supply
• Specialty cafe operations
• Coffee equipment retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Café beverage sales: Direct café sales of espresso drinks, pour-overs, cold brew, teas, specialty lattes, and seasonal drinks at three Oklahoma City locations.
2. Whole bean retail: Single-origin whole bean coffee sold at three size tiers (12oz, 2lb, 5lb) via e-commerce and at café locations; ships nationally.
3. Wholesale coffee program: Supplying single-origin roasted beans to local cafes and restaurants via wholesale accounts.
4. Merchandise and brew gear: Merch (mugs, travel tumblers, Huskee Cups, tea cups), brew gear (Chemex, AeroPress, Fellow Stagg, filters), and accessories sold via e-commerce and in-store.
5. Instant coffee (Swift Cup partnership): Freeze-dried single-origin Guatemala instant coffee sold in 6-packs via e-commerce, produced in partnership with Swift Cup Coffee.
6. Seasonal and specialty drink programs: Seasonal latte specials (Peach Latte, Agave Lime Latte, Clarity Cool Down cold brew slush, Maple Pecan Cold Brew) drive repeat café visits and media coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Clarity Coffee roasts and sells single-origin specialty coffee through three Oklahoma City cafés, a nationwide direct e-commerce storefront, and a wholesale program for local food-service businesses. The company also retails branded merchandise and brew gear (mugs, travel tumblers, Huskee Cups, filters, Fellow products), offers loose-leaf tea and instant single-origin coffee, and publishes a brew guide and coffee education library for home brewing.

Product overview

Clarity Coffee is an Oklahoma City-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe offering single origin coffees, tea, and merchandise. The core product portfolio consists of whole bean coffees sourced from specific farms (Guatemala Max & Claudia Perez, Ethiopia Tigest Wako, Ethiopia Zelelu Ararso Moke, Decaf Peru) available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes, plus instant coffee; loose leaf teas including Earl Grey, black, and chai; and brew guides for home brewing methods. The merchandise line includes mugs (Carter Move, notNeutral collaboration), travel mugs (MiiR 360, Keep Cup), sustainable Huskee Cups made from coffee waste, and brewing accessories (filters, Prismo attachment). Services include a wholesale program for business partners and online order-ahead functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guatemala Max & Claudia Perez Whole Bean Coffee Single-origin washed coffee from Max & Claudia Perez at La Hermosa farm in Acatenango, Guatemala. Bourbon and Catuai varieties grown at 1,900-2,100 MASL with chocolate, orange, and spice flavor notes. Available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes. Used as Clarity's primary espresso base for milk drinks.
• Ethiopia Tigest Wako Whole Bean Coffee Single-origin natural process coffee from Tigest Wako in Idedo village, Gedeo/Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia. Heirloom variety grown at 1,900-2,400 MASL with strawberry, wine, and rose flavor notes. Available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes.
• Ethiopia Zelelu Ararso Moke Whole Bean Coffee Single-origin washed coffee from Zelelu Ararso Moke in Wenago woreda, Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia. Heirloom variety grown at 2,300 MASL with caramel, cherry, and lemon curd flavor notes. Available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes.
• Decaf Peru Whole Bean Coffee Swiss Water Process decaf coffee from Amazonas, Cajamarca region of Peru. Bourbon, Caturra, Castillo, and Catuai varieties grown at 1,500-1,600 MASL with chocolate, grapefruit, and shortbread flavor notes. Available in 12oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes.
• Instant Coffee Guatemala (6-pack) Freeze-dried single-origin instant coffee made from Clarity's Guatemala Max & Claudia Perez beans, produced in partnership with Swift Cup Coffee. Reconstitutes with 10-12oz of hot or cold water or milk for portable, on-the-go consumption. Sold in 6-packs via e-commerce.
• Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea Loose-leaf flavored black tea with bergamot oil sold in a 5oz box (approximately 35 cups per box). Suitable for London Fog tea lattes when brewed double strength with vanilla and milk.
• Da Ye Zhong Black Tea Black loose-leaf tea offering available at the café and online.
• Chai Tea (House-Made) House-made chai tea offered as a concentrate combined with milk for a chai latte at the café and online.
• Clarity Coffee Merchandise and Brew Gear Branded merchandise and brewing accessories including Carter Move and notNeutral ceramic mugs (12oz diner mug, Bar Ceramics in Demitasse 3oz, Cap Cup 6oz, and Latte Cup 12oz), MiiR 360 12oz stainless steel traveler, Keep Cup Commuter 12oz double-wall vacuum travel mug, Huskee Cups in 6oz and 12oz made from coffee husk waste, tea cup with infuser and lid, single-cup metal tea filter, Chemex bonded filters, Stagg XF paper filters, and the Fellow Prismo AeroPress attachment. Sold via e-commerce and in-store.
• Brew Guides and Coffee Education Free step-by-step brewing instruction guides covering Chemex, AeroPress, Prismo (AeroPress espresso attachment), Clever Dripper, French Press, and Fellow Stagg XF methods, including coffee-to-water ratios, grind settings, timing, and equipment recommendations. Serves both as education for home brewers and product discovery for related merchandise.
• Wholesale Coffee Program Wholesale bean supply program for partner cafés and restaurants, providing single-origin roasted coffee on account terms for use in their own beverage programs. Targets local food-service operators seeking differentiated specialty coffee and a sustainable local roasting partner.
• Order Ahead Café Service Online order-ahead service (order.claritycoffee.com) that lets customers place café drink and food orders for contactless pickup at any of the three Oklahoma City locations, reducing in-person transaction friction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Named 'The Best Coffee Roaster in Every State' by Food and Wine for 2022
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swift Cup CoffeecoreTechnology or IntegrationSwift Cup Coffee produces Clarity Coffee's freeze-dried instant coffee product. The single-origin Guatemala coffee is roasted sustainably in-house by Clarity, then sent to Swift Cup to be brewed and freeze-dried for the instant format, allowing Clarity to offer a portable coffee product while maintaining quality standards.
• Fertile Ground CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFertile Ground Cooperative provides weekly recycling pickup services for Clarity Coffee, managing the café's recycling stream including cartons, cans, bottles, and other recyclable materials. This partnership supports Clarity's sustainability mission and environmental commitment.
• KLLR CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLLR Coffee is a local roasting and coffee supply company that supports Clarity with green coffee sourcing, roasting expertise (using a 12kg US Roaster Corp roaster made in OKC), equipment consulting, and barista training. Clarity and KLLR share co-ownership (Steve and Chelsea Willingham own Clarity; KLLR is a related venture). KLLR distributes specialty coffees and alternative milks to Clarity.
• Cafe ImportsminorOthersCafe Imports is the green coffee importer that sources specialty coffees from origin farms worldwide and supplies imagery and content for Clarity's origin education pages on farming and processing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Nestlé-owned specialty roaster with cafés, subscription DTC, and retail — the clearest scaled incumbent in Clarity's category, with materially more resources.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Established specialty single-origin roaster with cafés and wholesale; broader scale than Clarity, but directly comparable category, sourcing philosophy, and channel mix.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Larger specialty roaster and café operator with national DTC, draft RTD coffee, and wholesale — broader and better-capitalized, but overlapping category and channels.

Regional players

• Colectivo Coffee: Regional specialty roaster and café operator with similar channel mix; primarily Midwest-focused, comparable to Clarity's regional footprint and roastery-café model.

Others

• KLLR Coffee: Local OKC roasting and coffee supply company related to Clarity's founder; comparable green-coffee sourcing, roasting equipment, and barista training overlap as adjacent ecosystem participant.
• Swift Cup Coffee: Freeze-dried instant coffee producer that contract-manufactures Clarity's Guatemala instant SKU; adjacent infrastructure partner in the same category rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty single-origin roaster with sustainability credentials, wholesale program, and education/dripper content — directly comparable to Clarity's transparent sourcing and wholesale model.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster and café operator with multiple metros and a strong DTC e-commerce channel — comparable product/category with broader geographic reach than Clarity.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Specialty single-origin roaster with a roastery-café model, transparent sourcing, and national e-commerce — closely comparable to Clarity in scale, category, and channel mix.
• Heart Coffee Roasters: Single-origin specialty roaster operating cafés plus national wholesale and e-commerce — closely aligned with Clarity's roastery-café-plus-DTC structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarity-coffee

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 clarity coffee