Birmingham · United States

Royal Cup Coffee

Royal Cup Coffee roasts in Birmingham, Alabama.

Since 1896 · Henry T. Batterton (1896 founder of Batterton Coffee Company)

Overview

Royal Cup traces back to 1896, when Henry T. Batterton — Alabama's first commercial coffee roaster — sold coffee from a horse-drawn wagon in Birmingham, packaged in mason jars before mason jars were a thing. Founded under a different name and bought out of near-failure by Batterton in 1906, the company was acquired in 1950 by William E. Smith and renamed Royal Cup; the Smith family still owns the company, now led by CEO Bill Smith III, with $300M+ revenue, 608 employees in 2024, and a March 2026 announced acquisition of Farmer Brothers Coffee Co.

Known for

Alabama's heritage coffee company (founded 1896)
Five generations of Smith family ownership since 1950
Premier hospitality/foodservice roaster — Ritz-Carlton to Waffle House
Birmingham Business Hall of Fame (2016)
Acquired Icebox Coffee 2017, announced Farmer Brothers acquisition 2026

Why it matters

Royal Cup is the rare American coffee company that's been continuously operating since the McKinley administration — Batterton's 1896 founding pre-dates the Dow Jones by months — and the Smith family's stewardship since 1950 has made it the away-from-home coffee for an enormous slice of American hospitality. The 2026 announced Farmer Brothers acquisition transforms it from regional heritage to one of the largest single-source U.S. coffee operations.

Production

roastery location: 160 Cleage Drive, Birmingham, AL (with national distribution facilities)
annual volume tonnes: 26300

Recognitions

Birmingham Business Hall of Fame — Smith family (2016)
Commercial Conservation Award — Alabama Environmental Council (2016)
Outstanding Business — Champions of Sustainability (2016)
North American Tea Championship — Ibis Moon 1st Place Unflavored (2016)
ROAR Single Serve Innovation Award — National Automatic Merchandising Association (2013)

Sources

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