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Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Intelligentsia Coffee
Subsidiary
Industry Restaurants
Founded 1995; 30 years ago (1995)
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois
Number of locations
 13
Key people
 Doug Zell and Emily Mange, founders
James McLaughlin, CEO
Products Coffee, Tea
Owner JAB Holding Company
Parent JDE Peet's
(2015–present)

Intelligentsia Coffee is a company from the United States that roasts and sells coffee. It started in Chicago, Illinois. Doug Zell and Emily Mange created the company in 1995. Intelligentsia is known as a leader in what's called "third wave coffee." This means they focus on high-quality coffee, where the beans come from, and how they are roasted and brewed. In 2015, another big coffee company, Peet's Coffee & Tea, bought most of Intelligentsia.

Discovering Intelligentsia Coffee's Journey

Intelligentsia Coffee has its main office in Chicago. They also have many coffee shops in the Chicago area. They provide coffee to many cafes and restaurants, not just in Chicago but across the US and Canada.

Where Intelligentsia Gets Its Coffee Beans

Intelligentsia buys its coffee beans directly from farmers. These farmers are in places like Central America, South America, and East Africa, including Ethiopia. This way, they can make sure the coffee is of good quality.

How Intelligentsia Roasts Coffee

The company uses special machines called Ideal Rapid Gothot Roasters to roast their coffee beans. These machines are quite old, dating back to the 1950s. They were handmade in Germany from strong cast-iron and steel. Intelligentsia has several of these roasters in Chicago and one in Los Angeles.

Expanding Coffee Shops Across the US

In 2007, Intelligentsia opened its first coffee shop outside Chicago. This was in Silver Lake, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Since then, they have opened two more stores in the Los Angeles area.

In 2013, Intelligentsia opened its first store in New York City. It was inside a famous building called The High Line Hotel. A second New York City location opened in 2014. This store was special because it was the first to offer a full food menu, not just drinks. They also have two stores in Boston and one in Austin, Texas.

Changes to Drink Sizes

In 2008, Intelligentsia decided to stop selling very large (20-ounce) coffee and espresso drinks. The founder, Doug Zell, explained that big sizes can change the taste of the coffee. He said they wanted to keep the pure, strong flavors they worked hard to create. They didn't want coffee to just be a way to get caffeine.

New Companies Joining Intelligentsia

In 2009, Intelligentsia bought another coffee company called Ecco Caffè. This company was from California. Intelligentsia decided to keep the Ecco Caffè name and brand.

In 2015, it was announced that Peet's Coffee & Tea would buy most of Intelligentsia. Peet's was also buying other "third wave" coffee companies. Intelligentsia was expected to keep running on its own. The founders, Doug Zell and Emily Mange, were planned to stay involved with the company.

Intelligentsia's Awards and Recognition

Intelligentsia Coffee has received many awards and been recognized for its quality. From 2000 to 2005, they won several "best of" awards in their local area.

In 2005, their recognition grew to a national level. In 2006, Intelligentsia was featured on many local and national lists as one of the best coffee companies. One of their expert coffee makers also won national and international awards.

See also