BERKELEY, Calif., U.S. — Bellwether Coffee, makers of the first-of-its-kind zero-emissions commercial coffee roaster and integrated green coffee Marketplace, has announced the launch of financial assistance for new customers amid the COVID-19 outbreak and closure of restaurants and cafes across the U.S. and Canada. Bellwether will cover two months of payments for leases and purchases of its roasters installed May through July.
In an effort to support coffee retailers as they seek to pivot business models nationwide, by quickly creating delivery or take-out options and e-commerce stores, Bellwether wants to make roasting on-site a viable investment. Coffee retailers may not be able to physically open their doors, but with the installation of a Bellwether Roaster, they can still sell coffee and keep their business afloat.
“I had an epiphany yesterday in all of this mess. The Bellwether was supposed to supplement my business. Now, it’s going to be my business driver to help me get out of this mess,” said Greg Vogeley, owner of Drip Cafe in Delaware.
No prior coffee roasting experience is required with the intuitive software built into every Bellwether Roaster that enables anyone to start roasting right away. The roasters do not require the steep learning curve that conventional roasters do because of the automation, built-in roast profiles, and unprecedented temperature stability and precision controls. This means an owner can choose a roast profile, or design one of their own with a curve of heat and airflow that can be set and executed flawlessly every time.
As the most consistent and controllable commercial roaster on the market with the lowest carbon footprint, Bellwether offers environmental benefits to coffee retailers as well. It’s the first-and-only commercial coffee roaster to remove particulates and VOCs through clean technology for zero emissions. By using electricity instead of natural gas to roast, it reduces the carbon footprint of roasting by an average of 90%. The Bellwether is the only roaster that operates without gas lines, venting, construction, or permitting which means coffee retailers can be up and roasting from the moment it arrives.
“We understand this is a difficult time for coffee retailers. We’re seeing our customers successfully get through these tough times by roasting on-site, and we want to make sure that same success is available to more businesses by investing in a roaster without the immediate capital expense,” said Nathan Gilliland, CEO of Bellwether Coffee. “The power of on-site roasting is real, and we truly believe the craft of coffee roasting on-site can help coffee retailers thrive right now.”
The software that controls the Bellwether Roaster also features a curated Marketplace where owners can browse green coffees from all over the world. Each coffee for sale includes detailed information about the coffee’s origin, who produced it, images of the farm and farmers, tasting notes, and more. The coffee purchased from the Bellwether Marketplace is added to the app’s inventory management system and shipped in easy-to-manage 22lb boxes. Additionally, the software will suggest multiple roast profiles created by the Bellwether Coffee Team, or allow owners to make their own.
