Merchants of Green Coffee is a Toronto, Canada based wholesaler and retailer of coffee beans, but with several twists that make them unique and therefore of interest to readers of coolbusinessideas.com.
The owners and employees of this company are passionate about the search for the perfectly brewed cup of coffee. They teach their shoppers about the three steps to great coffee: the highest quality coffee beans, the freshest roast, and proper brewing.
Therefore, they sell only the best arabica beans sourced from small, shady, organic certified plantations in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Sulawesi and Costa Rica. They have a strong commitment to fair trade, and pay a fair price for the product in most cases directly to the farmer. A percentage of sales of their coffee goes to sustainable coffee programs.
The flavour and aromas of coffee are generated only after roasting brings out the essential oils and caramelizes the carbohydrates and sugars in the beans. Within minutes of roasting oxidation starts breaking down these oils, and will quickly turn the sweetness and complexity of aromas and tastes to bitterness. According to Daniel Byrnes of MGC (pictured in the photograph above), roasted coffee has a shelf life of only 3-5 days, regardless of how it's packaged. Ground coffee has a life of only 3 hours before it is stale.
So what is the key difference between Merchants of Green Coffee and your local Starbucks? MGC only sells green, unroasted coffee. Shoppers must purchase a small coffee roaster and roast the green beans at home - the store does not sell roasted coffee beans. Coffee is roasted at around 450 degrees F in small electrical appliances that resemble hot air popcorn poppers. The roasting process is complete is about 8 minutes.
The business model is also different. Customers generally pre-purchase 30 pounds of coffee for CDN$375, and receive the CDN$180 home roaster for free. They then drop by the store and take away coffee as they need in until their 30 pounds are exhausted. They can then continue purchasing green coffee at CDN$7-12 per pound - very inexpensive even by Canadian supermarket standards for arabica coffee.
With increasing consumer interest in trends like authenticity, provenance of products and environmentalism, organic green coffee that they can then roast, grind and brew at home is certain to gain more and more acceptance.
For more information: www.merchantsofgreencoffee.com.
Graeme Spicer is a Canadian trendspotter, ethnographer and observer of all things retail. As Director of Retail Strategy at DW+Partners he spends his time consulting with leading retailers; presenting at conferences across North America; lecturing at OCAD, Canada's leading design school; and reading too many blogs.
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