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Durham, North Carolina · Specialty Coffee Brand Deep Dive

Little Waves Coffee Roasters

Editorial sacred-geometry artwork for Little Waves Coffee Roasters; not a documentary photograph
IndependentRoasts its own coffeeSourcing: Origin / region level
TagsLittle Waves Coffee RoastersNorth Carolina coffee roastersGuatemalaEthiopiaPapua New GuineaIndependentOrigin / region levelRoasts in-house
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Little Waves Coffee Roasters is an impact-driven specialty coffee company based in Durham, North Carolina, that functions as the roasting arm of the Cocoa Cinnamon coffee shops. The brand is dedicated to fostering inclusive community spaces and building equitable relationships with coffee producers worldwide. They are known for their intentional approach to sourcing and their efforts to create positive, long-term reverberations within the coffee industry.

Ownership
Little Waves Coffee Roasters is an independent, Latina-led, and women-forward company co-owned by Areli Barrera Grodski and Leon Grodski Barrera. It operates as the wholesale roasting arm of their retail brand, Cocoa Cinnamon.
Founded
2017
Roasting
Reported to roast in-house.
What it's known for
The brand is widely recognized for its commitment to ethical, relationship-driven sourcing and its focus on diversity, inclusion, and community impact. It gained significant industry acclaim as the 2022 Roast Magazine Micro Roaster of the Year.
Sourcing countries
Guatemala · Ethiopia · Papua New Guinea
Farm-level sourcing
Little Waves emphasizes long-term relationships with producers and prioritizes sourcing from women of color. While they highlight specific origins and the stories behind their coffees, they generally do not publish a comprehensive, searchable database of every farm or washing station for all offerings. Their sourcing strategy balances the pursuit of high-quality competition lots with a broader commitment to sustainable industry practices.
Notable coffees
  • — Rio Dulce Gesha
Sources used in this deep dive
Research disclosure — this profile was compiled from public online sources on 2026-11-04. This company overview is not a tasting review. Original tasting reviews are labeled separately when they exist. Ownership, roasting and sourcing details are attributed to documented sources. While the brand emphasizes deep relationships with producers, I could not verify a public, real-time list of all current farm-level partners or specific washing stations for their entire seasonal rotation.

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