Word started brewing early last week that something exciting was percolating over at Heartland Bank Ambassador Greg Ubert’s Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea. The headline in Columbus Business First read, “America's top coffee roaster is from Columbus”. ThisWeek community newspaper’s headline read ‘Crimson Cup gets Toast from Roast’. Both publications announced that Roast Magazine (the trusted source of information on the art, science and business of coffee) had just named Columbus-based Crimson Cup as the 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.
Roast presents the award annually to North America’s top roaster of at least 100,000 pounds of coffee. The magazine’s editorial board selects winners that produce coffees of superior quality, exemplify a dedication to sustainability, promote employee and community education, and demonstrate a strong commitment to the coffee industry.
The winning blends (the Wayfarer, Ethiopian Jimma Agaro and Ethiopian Natural Sidamo Ardi) are all currently available at the Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Clintonville and Upper Arlington as well online at crimsoncup.com.
According to the announcement by Roast Magazine, “Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea of Columbus, Ohio, took the top prize for Macro Roaster of the Year, with an output of 485,000 pounds per year. The company’s focus on education — including a franchise-alternative program that supports independent coffeehouses, ongoing partnerships with local universities, and a full range of consumer education workshops — played a key role in the roaster’s top placement. Crimson Cup was also recognized for its work cultivating relationships with coffee growers around the world, its substantial commitment to supporting local charities, and the development of a number of innovative cold-brew products.”
Since founding Crimson Cup in 1991 as a wholesale business, Greg has built a coffee powerhouse, and his handcrafted coffee and other products can be found in 350 coffee houses, grocery stores, college campuses and food service operations in 29 states. The company is headquartered at 1925 Alum Creek Drive, in a new 20,000 sf facility where roasting, packaging and shipping are housed and has plans to open a 7,000 sf innovation and training lab in December at their former office at 700 Alum Creek Drive.
Crimson Cup is not just a coffee shop, it’s a place where individuals interested in opening a shop (or improving the shop they already own) can learn how to be successful in the specialty coffee business. Through Greg’s ‘Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry’ franchise alternative program, he outlines everything from how to profit from the proper ratio of drip to espresso sales, how to choose a location, and what kind of numbers to expect the first year of operations. He provides training for the owners and staff, marketing materials and point of sale displays, in addition to a consultant that remains onsite through opening day to ensure a successful launch. There is no charge for these services. No contract. No franchise fees. Businesses are selected for participation based upon commitment to excellence and their fit with the Crimson Cup philosophy.
Greg’s partnership with Heartland Bank began more than five years ago, when his advisory board urged him to ‘Find a bank that is just like you’. We couldn’t be more proud that he found ‘Central Ohio’s Community Bank’. If you would like to find a bank that is just like you, stop by one of our 12 convenient locations. We are serving up great financial advice that will be sure to make your cup runneth over!