Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company facts for kids
Caffè Vita in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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Key people
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Deming Maclise |
| Products | Coffee, tea |
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Number of employees
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100 |
Caffè Vita Coffee Roasting Company, often called Caffè Vita, is a company from Seattle, Washington, that roasts coffee. It's known for being part of the "third wave of coffee" movement, which focuses on high-quality, special coffees. Some people even say it has "the best coffee in America!"
Caffè Vita started in 1995 in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. It was founded by Mike McConnell. He had a new idea: to buy coffee beans directly from farmers. This was called the "Farm Direct" movement. It meant building relationships with farmers instead of using middlemen. On January 1, 2020, Deming Maclise, a local restaurant owner, became the new owner of Caffè Vita.
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Caffè Vita Locations
Caffè Vita has a main location at 1005 East Pike Street in Seattle. This spot is special because it has their main cafe, their coffee roasting area, and the company offices.
The company also runs seven other cafes around Seattle. There is another place where they roast coffee in Phoenix, Arizona. In March 2012, Caffè Vita opened a cafe in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York. They grew even more in New York in 2015. They opened a new roastery and cafe in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
In total, Caffè Vita has 10 locations across the country. They also sell their coffee to many other cafes, restaurants, and hotels.
Helping the Community
Caffè Vita believes in helping out. They have several programs and partnerships that support different groups.
Training Programs for Youth
In 2009, Caffè Vita worked with p:ear, a program in Portland that helps homeless youth. Together, they created the p:ear Barista School. Caffè Vita gives the school coffee machines, beans, milk, and training. This helps young people learn how to be a barista in an 8-week program. It gives them skills to find a job.
Caffè Vita also supports FareStart's youth barista training program. This program trains homeless youth and helps them get jobs at coffee stands, like those at T-Mobile Field. They also help FareStart raise money through special events each year.
Supporting Local Events
Caffè Vita sponsors many local events. These include the Timber Music Fest, Thing Festival, and the Capitol Hill Block Party.
In 2009, Caffè Vita helped create "GIVE Seattle." This was a music album with 36 songs from artists like Ben Gibbard and Fleet Foxes. All the money raised went to local food banks and arts groups.
Every year, Caffè Vita holds a holiday fundraiser in all its cafes. They collect donations for groups like Community Passageways and Trans Lifeline. Caffè Vita even matches the donations dollar for dollar.
The new owner, Deming Maclise, started a special line of "Coffees for a Cause." For every bag sold, $2 goes to non-profit groups. These include the Seattle Foundation, Lambert House, and FareStart.
Business Friends and Partners
Caffè Vita works with other businesses too. They have a coffee blend named "Easy Street Indo 30." This is named after Easy Street Records, a music store. The store's founder, Matt Vaughan, was Caffè Vita's very first wholesale customer back in 1995.
Since 2017, all Washington State Ferries have served Caffè Vita coffee. In 2019, the company started aging some of its coffee in barrels. They do this with Batch 206 Distillery. So far, they have released three barrel-aged coffees. These coffees were aged in bourbon, rum, and gin barrels.
Caring for the Planet
Caffè Vita is a leader in the "Farm Direct" movement. This means they carefully choose their coffee beans. They also build long-term relationships with farmers in over 11 countries. They offer many coffees that are Organic, Farm Direct, and Rainforest Alliance Certified. These certifications mean the coffee is grown in a way that protects the environment and supports farmers.
In 2009, Caffè Vita worked with Woodland Park Zoo's Tree Kangaroo Project. They helped bring the first coffee from Papua New Guinea's Yopno Uruwa Som region to the U.S. It was bought directly from the growers. This coffee was sold at all Seattle Caffè Vita locations and at the Woodland Park Zoo stores. They also offered a "Zoo Special Reserve" coffee. A dollar from each bag sold went to the Woodland Park Zoo.
New Leadership
On January 1, 2020, Deming Maclise took over Caffè Vita. He had already owned a small part of the company. Maclise said that the company should "have a general welcoming policy to everyone." He also mentioned that the deal had been planned for a long time. Maclise suggested that Caffè Vita might change its food menus. They might also work with more local businesses, possibly including his other restaurants.
See also
- Coffee in Seattle
- List of coffee companies
