A quarter of Americans call themselves coffee snobs, according Modern Restaurant Management's March report. The report said industry growth is in the high-end products called "third wave," where an intense focus is paid to how beans are sourced and roasted.
Phoenix-based Swillings Coffee co-founder C’pher Gresham operates third wave. Gresham said consumers, especially millennials, are increasingly conscientious buyers and look for meaningful drinking experiences.
"Our hope is to expand our model and be a beacon on a hill to other coffee companies to roast at origin and also produce other products in country and employ individuals that otherwise wouldn’t have job opportunities,” Gresham said.
Swillings Coffee sources in rural and developing regions of Colombia. Gresham said for every dollar spent in the community, 67 cents goes back to local growing communities.
The market report said third-wave coffee is driving the global coffee market with a quarter of all new launches by American companies. The report said the premium coffee market is expected to grow globally.
