Our Heritage

We were there when it all began. As one of Seattle’s original coffeehouses, we’ve been roasting, blending and brewing Uncommonly Smooth™ coffee since 1970, when the roasting revolution gave birth to specialty coffee as we know it today. Now a nationally celebrated brand, we’ve remained true to our roots. With a wide range of franchise opportunities, we invite you to become part of the Seattle’s Best Coffee story.

Why Seattle’s Best Coffee?

• Brand recognition:A strongly recognized brand helps build a customer base from day one.
  • A growing and vibrant national brand with a rich history and nearly 40 years of experience.
  • Seattle’s Best Coffee has national distribution through branded cafes, grocery stores and foodservice locations including college campuses, restaurants, hotels and air and cruise lines.
  • Over 1 billion cups of Seattle’s Best Coffee will be enjoyed this year.
• Operation systems: The established infrastructure will provide on-going support franchisees need.
  • Superior design, development support, and a complete equipment package to get franchisees up and running quickly.
  • Expert training and regular in-cafe support help employees confidently deliver the Seattle’s Best Coffee experience customers have come to expect.
  • Marketing programs with seasonal campaigns, new products and local marketing support help keep Seattle’s Best Coffee cafes fresh and drive business throughout the year.
• Flexible concepts: Seattle’s Best Coffee offers a full continuum of concepts to optimize operator profitability.
  • A diverse portfolio of cafe concepts, including custom cafes and kiosks, with many focused on small spaces allowing choices to maximize investment.
• Best of class menu:Everyday favorites, as well as seasonal specialties of the house, support all day parts.

• Seattle’s Best Coffee’s signature Uncommonly Smooth™ coffee flavor has broad appeal among many coffee lovers’ palates.
• Beverage program that builds customer loyalty by offering enticing options throughout the day.
• Proprietary OvenSong Bakery™ program features pastries, warmed sandwiches, afternoon snacks and desserts to help drive traffic during multiple dayparts.

Why Coffee?

Customers want, and will pay a premium for, high-quality specialty coffee. With the proliferation of cafes and gourmet coffee retailers in the 1990s, specialty coffee has become one of the fastest-growing foodservice markets in the world. In 2007, specialty coffee businesses had total sales of $13.5 billion in the U.S. alone,* and coffeehouse sales are predicted to increase 125% between 2005 and 2010.**

For anyone looking for a highly recognized franchise business with a solid history and excellent growth potential, now is the time to get into the coffee industry with Seattle’s Best Coffee.

*Specialty Coffee Association of America, SCA A research, 2008.
**Mintel’s Coffeehouses and Donut Shops Report, February 2006.

If you’re ready to bring the Seattle’s Best Coffee experience to your marketplace, we’d love to discuss the possibilities.