Press Coffee Roasters

Press Coffee Roasters was established in 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona, by founders Steve Kraus and Tram Mai. Driven by a desire to find higher-quality coffee than what was readily available at the time, the couple launched their own specialty coffee shop just before the 2008 economic recession. Over the subsequent seventeen years, the company grew from a single location into a regional fixture with nearly twenty cafes across the Phoenix metropolitan area, including locations in Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, and Gilbert.

The company operates as a small-batch roaster, utilizing Loring Smart Roasters to maintain consistency and precision across its production. Their operational philosophy centers on the concept of 'quality-driven' coffee, which involves roasting in-house daily to ensure freshness for both their cafe patrons and their global online customer base. This focus on technical consistency is a hallmark of their production model.

Sourcing is a core pillar of the company's identity. Press Coffee emphasizes direct-trade and relationship-based sourcing, aiming to bridge the gap between coffee farmers and consumers. By prioritizing transparency and ethical partnerships, they seek to honor the expertise of the producers who supply their beans. Their offerings frequently feature rotating single-origin coffees, showcasing diverse processing methods such as washed and co-fermented lots from regions including Bolivia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Indonesia.

In 2024, the company significantly expanded its vertical integration by acquiring a 70-hectare coffee farm in the Volcán Valley of Western Panama. Situated at elevations between 1,800 and 2,300 meters above sea level, the estate benefits from volcanic soil resulting from the Baru volcano. This acquisition allows the company to exert greater control over the cultivation and processing of their reserve-tier coffees, marking a transition from purely sourcing to active farm management.

Beyond its roasting and retail operations, Press Coffee maintains a strong focus on community and education. They host 'Coffee 101' classes designed to provide an interactive, conversational environment for customers to learn about specialty coffee. This commitment to education is paired with a broader community-focused mission that includes supporting various Arizona-based charities.

It is important to distinguish this Arizona-based entity from other businesses operating under similar names globally. For instance, there is a separate 'Press Coffee Roasters' based in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia, founded in 2015, which focuses on Australian cafe culture and seasonal produce. Additionally, a London-based company known as 'Presscoffee' operates as a roaster and retailer providing contract and white-label roasting services in the United Kingdom.

Today, the Arizona-based Press Coffee Roasters stands as a recognized name in the American specialty coffee industry. By balancing rapid retail expansion with investments in origin-level infrastructure like their Panama estate, the company continues to evolve its model while maintaining its original focus on small-batch, high-quality roasting.