Like many consumers, coffee aficionados have become dedicated to supporting sustainable brands. Not immune to the green movement and their efforts to ensure a brighter future, many coffee lovers out there want to purchase their beloved drink ethically. This doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice the taste they love though, as many coffee shops have stepped up to fill this demand. California is home to several of the best sustainable coffee shops out there.
Weaver’s Coffee & Tea Café, San Rafael
Located in small town San Rafael, Weaver’s Coffee & Tea Café is a true California gem. Although they serve a wide range of coffee and tea products, they also offer many sustainable options on their menu. In fact, they adamantly push their sustainable coffees to help bring more coffee consumers to these brands. Upon visiting their shop, customers find a quiet place to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. They also sell their own roasts, as well as other sustainable roast blends, in their shops.
Groundwork Coffee, Venice
As their slogan goes, ‘all organic, all the time.’ They offer their customers a wide selection of coffees from various growers in a variety of flavors, but don’t let that fool you, Groundwork Coffee works exclusively with organically grown and processed coffee. This may be surprising at first glance, but Groundwork Coffee has built itself a wide network of coffee producers to bring their customers a vast selection. Their style is all about adventuring through the world of coffee and sampling something new.
Cafecito Organico, Los Angeles
You have probably heard of LA garage bands, but have you heard of their coffee roaster equivalent? Cafecito Organico began as a small operation in the garage of the founder, roasting and brewing their own coffee and sharing the delicacy with a small clientele. However, that’s long in the past today. By nurturing their relationships with small coffee growers in Central America, they have focused on sustainable fair trade relationships with family farms in these countries.
Equator Coffee & Teas, San Rafael
Another garage-to-coffee-shop company, Equator Coffee & Teas started as a venture to make coffee, and the world, better. As the founders say, they wanted to use coffee, an industry which suffered from humanitarian neglect, to make people’s lives better. This LGBT-owned company was able to do that and so much more by bringing locally roasted and processed coffee to coffee drinkers all over California. Throughout their journey, they have never failed to bring attention to sustainability and social responsibility.
Peet's Coffee, San Francisco
A specialty coffee roaster and producer like no other, Peet's Coffee began as a small coffee shop for local university students, and quickly became a big hit in town. Not just satisfied with offering quality coffee, they also sourced their coffee from the first LEED Gold-certified roasting facility in the United States. The perfect spot for coffee lovers who want a chill experience along with their sustainable coffee.
Coffee drinkers are willing to pay a little more for sustainable coffee if presented with the option. The best news is that sustainable coffee, although a pricier option, is no longer a difficult product to find, and these shops as well as many others, are excellent choices for great coffee.
