A Successful 2015 and Promising New Year

Crimson Cup racked up record growth in 2015. We opened a new roasting facility, traveled over 25,000 miles to source coffee and tea at origin and won local and national acclaim, including Roast magazine 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. We launched a company-owned Crimson Cup Coffee House in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington and helped open more than a dozen new independently owned coffee houses across the U.S. and as far away as Bangladesh.

Founder and President Greg Ubert said 2016 looks just as promising. “The strides we made last year have set the stage for even more progress in our ability to sustainably source awesome coffee, make a difference in communities at home and abroad, and train both coffee lovers and professionals,” he said.

Crimson Cup kicked off 2015 with the opening of a new, 20,000-square-foot roasting and distribution facility at 1925 Alum Creek Drive. Over the following months,we worked to transform its former roasting facility and headquarters at 700 Alum Creek Drive into the new Crimson Cup Innovation Lab. In February 2016, we will host the first classes in this state-of-the art space, where both consumers and coffee professionals can learn about what goes into a great cup of coffee – from origins of the beans to roast level, grind, brewing techniques, drink preparation and more.

Crimson Cup coffee buyers traveled more than 25,000 miles to source coffee and tea and establish direct-trade relationships with coffee growers in remote regions of Central America, South America and Asia. They visited farms and cupped coffee in Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Sumatra and visited tea plantations in China.

We won national and local accolades for the quality of our coffee, business practices and philanthropy. In October, Roast magazine named Crimson Cup its 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year, citing the quality of our coffee, educational programming and outreach to coffee growers at origin. In an October 2015 review, Kenneth Davids and the Coffee Review awarded a 95/100 rating to  Crimson Cup Ethiopian Jimma Agaro coffee. In a September 2015 review, the publication awarded a 92/100 rating to Crimson Cup Wayfarer Blend.

Locally, Crimson Cup was recognized as the 2016 Outstanding Ohio Business of the Year by The Ohio Made Awards. Cancer Support Community Central Ohio also honored our company with its 2016 Corporate Partner Award. The Metropreneur named Crimson Cup the Best Small Business Growth Story in Columbus for 2015.

In May, we welcomed our first international coffee house, Columbus Coffee Shop in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We opened our second Columbus-area Crimson Cup Coffee House in the suburb of Upper Arlington in June. More than a dozen new prospective coffee shop owners signed on to Crimson Cup’s 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program. Based on Greg’s book, Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry, the program teaches everything needed to operate a successful coffee shop.

We look forward to celebrating 25 years of coffee+community in 2016. Thanks to all of our cuppers, coffee growers, independent coffee houses, specialty grocers, colleges and universities and other community partners who have made our continuing success possible!