Seattle's Best Coffee
Encyclopedia
Seattle's Best Coffee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks
, is a specialty coffee
retailer and wholesaler based in Seattle, Washington
.
Seattle's Best Coffee has retail stores and grocery sub-stores in 20 states and provinces and the District of Columbia. Sub-stores can also be found within many other businesses and college campuses, including J.C. Penney
Department Stores and Subway Restaurant
.
Seattle's Best Coffee is generally cheaper than that of its parent, and is marketed as more of a working class
coffee compared to the (seen-to-be) more upmarket Starbucks.
, north of Seattle, Washington. Founder Jim Stewart purchased green coffee beans from local roasters to be roasted and sold at the Wet Whisker. By the end of the second summer, the shop had roasted and sold nearly 500 pounds (226 kg) of coffee.
By the end of 1970, the Whidbey Island Wet Whisker was sold, and Jim Stewart, along with his brother Dave, opened another ice cream and coffee store on Pier 70 on Seattle's Waterfront
. The shop was called Stewart Brothers Wet Whisker. In 1982, Stewart Brothers Wet Whisker began serving espresso based beverages alongside other coffee products.
In 1983, the name again changed from Stewart Brothers Wet Whisker to Stewart Brothers Coffee. Shortly after, business began to expand, and new shops opened in Bellevue, Washington, and in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market
a year later. In 1991, the company was renamed "Seattle's Best Coffee" after winning a local competition. In the same year, Seattle's Best Coffee was purchased by a group of investors who own Torrefazione Italia
. They formed a new company made up of both parties called Seattle Coffee Holdings. In 1997, Seattle Coffee Holdings changed its name to Seattle Coffee Company.
In 1998, AFC Enterprises
purchased Seattle Coffee Holdings and began franchising the Seattle's Best Coffee brand. During AFC Enterprise's ownership, Seattle Coffee Company's Vashon Island
roasterie was upgraded and the company's organic coffee line was established. AFC Enterprises sold SCC to Starbucks in July 2003, retaining franchise rights in eleven countries, Hawaii and U.S. military bases. In November 2004, AFC sold those franchise rights (along with Cinnabon
) to a newly-established affiliate of Roark Capital Group
, FOCUS Brands, Inc.
Starbucks closed the Vashon Island facility October 23, 2003 and moved production to their Kent, Washington
roasterie. The historic Vashon Island roasterie building, Jim Stewart's original 1952 roaster and roastmaster Peter Larsen while no longer affiliated with SBC or Starbucks continues operations as The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie.
bookstore chain signed a contract with Seattle's Best Coffee in 2004 to convert Borders' in-store cafes to Seattle's Best cafes. By 2006, approximately two-thirds of Borders' domestic superstores had completed the Seattle's Best conversion. Seattle's Best parent company Starbucks Corporation
has contracted with Borders' competitor Barnes & Noble
to sell its products in Barnes & Noble's Cafes. Starbucks also owns and operates locations within JCPenney department stores and Chapters
and Indigo Books and Music
bookstores in Canada.
In 2008, J. C. Penney Company, Inc. reached an agreement with Seattle's Best Coffee to open Seattle's Best Coffee in-store cafes and kiosks in leased departments in their stores. , Seattle's Best Coffee are still expanding their coffeehouse cafes within the presence of larger J.C.Penny Department Stores across the country.
Seattle's Best Coffee Cafes and Kiosks can also be found in several JCPenney stores and on all 21 ships in the fleet of the cruise line Royal Caribbean International
under the name "Latte-Tudes" or "Cafe Promenade". The presence of the Seattle's Best outlets on Royal Caribbean is also tied in with all other free-of-charge coffee items on the ship also being exclusively supplied by SBC.
On September 29, 2006, Blenz Coffee
acquired four former Seattle's Best Coffee locations in downtown Vancouver, and reopened them as Blenz locations on October 2, 2006.
On February 16, 2010, Burger King
announced that they would add Seattle's Best Coffee to their menu in over 7,000 restaurants.
On May 12, 2010, Starbucks announced a rebranding of Seattle's Best Coffee, with a new logo and plans to expand Seattle's Best Coffee distribution from 3,000 locations to 30,000 by the end of the 2010 fiscal year. The rebranding of the Seattle's Best Coffee logo from the detailed, vintage logo to the clinical, generic design for the new mass market was met with much criticism, with the new logo being likened to a label for eye-drops, a blood-bank sign and a gas station logo.
On February 8, 2011 Delta Air Lines
and Seattle's Best entered into an agreement to offer Seattle's Best Coffee® onboard all domestic, international, and Delta Connection
flights beginning March 1, 2011.
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, is a specialty coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
retailer and wholesaler based in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Seattle's Best Coffee has retail stores and grocery sub-stores in 20 states and provinces and the District of Columbia. Sub-stores can also be found within many other businesses and college campuses, including J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
Department Stores and Subway Restaurant
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
.
Seattle's Best Coffee is generally cheaper than that of its parent, and is marketed as more of a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
coffee compared to the (seen-to-be) more upmarket Starbucks.
History
Seattle's Best Coffee began as a combination ice cream and coffee shop called the Wet Whisker on Whidbey IslandWhidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
, north of Seattle, Washington. Founder Jim Stewart purchased green coffee beans from local roasters to be roasted and sold at the Wet Whisker. By the end of the second summer, the shop had roasted and sold nearly 500 pounds (226 kg) of coffee.
By the end of 1970, the Whidbey Island Wet Whisker was sold, and Jim Stewart, along with his brother Dave, opened another ice cream and coffee store on Pier 70 on Seattle's Waterfront
Central Waterfront, Seattle
The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central...
. The shop was called Stewart Brothers Wet Whisker. In 1982, Stewart Brothers Wet Whisker began serving espresso based beverages alongside other coffee products.
In 1983, the name again changed from Stewart Brothers Wet Whisker to Stewart Brothers Coffee. Shortly after, business began to expand, and new shops opened in Bellevue, Washington, and in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers,...
a year later. In 1991, the company was renamed "Seattle's Best Coffee" after winning a local competition. In the same year, Seattle's Best Coffee was purchased by a group of investors who own Torrefazione Italia
Torrefazione Italia
Torrefazione Italia is a former coffee roaster and café franchise, now a high-end brand of Starbucks coffee beans sold in grocery stores.- History :The first Torrefazione Italia café opened in Seattle, Washington in 1986...
. They formed a new company made up of both parties called Seattle Coffee Holdings. In 1997, Seattle Coffee Holdings changed its name to Seattle Coffee Company.
In 1998, AFC Enterprises
AFC Enterprises
AFC Enterprises is the Sandy Springs, Georgia-headquartered company that owns Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits. AFC Enterprises is a publicly traded company....
purchased Seattle Coffee Holdings and began franchising the Seattle's Best Coffee brand. During AFC Enterprise's ownership, Seattle Coffee Company's Vashon Island
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
roasterie was upgraded and the company's organic coffee line was established. AFC Enterprises sold SCC to Starbucks in July 2003, retaining franchise rights in eleven countries, Hawaii and U.S. military bases. In November 2004, AFC sold those franchise rights (along with Cinnabon
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is a chain of American baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in high-traffic areas such as malls. The company's signature item is a grande cinnamon roll. As of July 2009, over 750 Cinnabon bakeries are in operation in over 30 countries around the world...
) to a newly-established affiliate of Roark Capital Group
Roark Capital Group
Roark Capital Group is a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout investments in middle-market companies primarily in consumer and business services companies. Roark has historically focused on the franchise, food and restaurant, specialty retail, environmental services, waste management,...
, FOCUS Brands, Inc.
FOCUS Brands
Focus Brands is an affiliate of the Atlanta-based private equity firm, Roark Capital Group, that owns the Schlotzsky's, Carvel, Cinnabon, and Moe's Southwest Grill brands. It purchased Cinnabon from AFC Enterprises in 2004 and Schlotzsky's from Bobby Cox Companies in 2006...
Starbucks closed the Vashon Island facility October 23, 2003 and moved production to their Kent, Washington
Kent, Washington
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
roasterie. The historic Vashon Island roasterie building, Jim Stewart's original 1952 roaster and roastmaster Peter Larsen while no longer affiliated with SBC or Starbucks continues operations as The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie.
Distribution partners
The BordersBorders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
bookstore chain signed a contract with Seattle's Best Coffee in 2004 to convert Borders' in-store cafes to Seattle's Best cafes. By 2006, approximately two-thirds of Borders' domestic superstores had completed the Seattle's Best conversion. Seattle's Best parent company Starbucks Corporation
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
has contracted with Borders' competitor Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
to sell its products in Barnes & Noble's Cafes. Starbucks also owns and operates locations within JCPenney department stores and Chapters
Chapters
Chapters is a Canadian big box bookstore banner owned by Indigo Books and Music. Formerly a company in its own right competing with Indigo, the combined company has continued to operate both banners since their merger in 2001.-History:...
and Indigo Books and Music
Indigo Books and Music
Indigo Books & Music Inc. is a Canadian retail bookstore chain. The company was founded in 1996 by CEO Heather Reisman, wife of Gerry Schwartz, majority owner and CEO of Onex Corporation....
bookstores in Canada.
In 2008, J. C. Penney Company, Inc. reached an agreement with Seattle's Best Coffee to open Seattle's Best Coffee in-store cafes and kiosks in leased departments in their stores. , Seattle's Best Coffee are still expanding their coffeehouse cafes within the presence of larger J.C.Penny Department Stores across the country.
Seattle's Best Coffee Cafes and Kiosks can also be found in several JCPenney stores and on all 21 ships in the fleet of the cruise line Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
under the name "Latte-Tudes" or "Cafe Promenade". The presence of the Seattle's Best outlets on Royal Caribbean is also tied in with all other free-of-charge coffee items on the ship also being exclusively supplied by SBC.
On September 29, 2006, Blenz Coffee
Blenz Coffee
Blenz Coffee is a Canadian franchise chain of coffee shops. The first shop was opened on Robson Street, Vancouver, British Columbia in 1992. Currently, the President is George Moen...
acquired four former Seattle's Best Coffee locations in downtown Vancouver, and reopened them as Blenz locations on October 2, 2006.
On February 16, 2010, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
announced that they would add Seattle's Best Coffee to their menu in over 7,000 restaurants.
On May 12, 2010, Starbucks announced a rebranding of Seattle's Best Coffee, with a new logo and plans to expand Seattle's Best Coffee distribution from 3,000 locations to 30,000 by the end of the 2010 fiscal year. The rebranding of the Seattle's Best Coffee logo from the detailed, vintage logo to the clinical, generic design for the new mass market was met with much criticism, with the new logo being likened to a label for eye-drops, a blood-bank sign and a gas station logo.
On February 8, 2011 Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
and Seattle's Best entered into an agreement to offer Seattle's Best Coffee® onboard all domestic, international, and Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
flights beginning March 1, 2011.