Topeka · United States
PT's Coffee Roasting Co.
PT's Coffee Roasting Co. roasts in Topeka, Kansas.
Since 1993 · Jeff Taylor, Fred Polzin
Overview
PT's was founded in 1993 in Topeka by photojournalist Jeff Taylor (T) and fast-food restaurant manager Fred Polzin (P) as PT's Caffe Espresso — a coffeehouse opened because Taylor couldn't find a decent cup of coffee in town. The pair began roasting in 1997, started traveling to origin in 2001, and helped establish the framework for what later became known as Direct Trade; Taylor was also a founding committee member of the United States Barista Competition in 1999.
Known for
- Direct Trade pioneer — sources roughly 80% of coffee through direct relationships
- Roast Magazine Macro Roaster of the Year
- Yemen Haraaz Red Mahal Aqeeq ul Station Natural — 97-point Coffee Review score, named #1 coffee of the year
- Acquired Bird Rock Coffee Roasters of San Diego
- Kansas-themed blend lineup (Flying Monkey, Flatlander, John Brown, Ad Astra Per Aspera, Flor del Sol, Cold Front)
- Founding committee member of the United States Barista Competition (1999)
Why it matters
PT's is one of the small handful of US roasters credited with establishing the Direct Trade model in the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains an outsized influence on the US Midwest specialty scene from a city — Topeka, Kansas — that no one would have predicted as a specialty hub.
Production
- cupping frequency
- 20–30 coffees a day cupped by Director of Quality Control Maritza Suarez-Taylor
- roastery location
- South Topeka, Kansas
Café
Topeka (Fleming Place flagship cafe); downtown Kansas City (Crossroads Arts District); Wheatfield Village drive-through, Topeka
Recognitions
- Roast Magazine — Macro Roaster of the Year
- Coffee Review — 97 points, #1 coffee of the year (Yemen Haraaz Red Mahal Aqeeq ul Station Natural)
- Good Food Award — Ethiopia Nanno Challa Heirloom
- Greater Topeka Partnership — Manufacturer of the Year (44th annual Small Business Awards)