Columbus · United States
Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea roasts in Columbus, Ohio.
Since 1991 · Greg Ubert
Overview
Crimson Cup was founded in May 1991 by 23-year-old Greg Ubert, a recent Harvard graduate who quit a software-engineering job in Chicago after one year to roast coffee in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio — naming the company for the ripe red coffee cherry and Harvard's official color. The company built its growth around Ubert's 2003 book 'Seven Steps to Success: A Common Sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee' and an associated 'coffee franchise alternative' program that has helped over 300 independent coffee shops launch across 30+ states; Crimson Cup itself was named Roast Magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year and now imports roughly 500,000 pounds of coffee annually from 25+ origins.
Known for
- Roast Magazine 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year
- Greg Ubert's 'Seven Steps to Success' book (2003) — coffee-shop launch program
- Helped open 300+ independent coffee shops across 30+ U.S. states
- Friend2Farmer direct-trade program in 8 producing countries
- Armando's Blend — flagship espresso/latte/drip versatility
Why it matters
Crimson Cup is the coffee industry's most prolific independent-shop incubator — the company's franchise-alternative program has launched more independently-owned cafes than most franchise systems, and its model demonstrates how a wholesale roaster can scale via teaching rather than equity ownership of its accounts.
Production
- roastery location
- 1925 Alum Creek Drive, Columbus, OH 43207
- annual volume tonnes
- 227
Café
Clintonville and Upper Arlington (Columbus suburbs); flagship retail store
Recognitions
- Roast Magazine Macro Roaster of the Year (2016)
- Good Food Awards (2017, 2020)
- Smart 50 Award (Greg Ubert)
- Golden Bean North America medals
- U.S. Chamber Dream Big Award regional finalist