Royal Cup Coffee

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

destoning

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head roaster

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color sorting

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roaster machine

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filter equipment

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cupping frequency

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roastery location

160 Cleage Drive, Birmingham, AL (with national distribution facilities)

espresso equipment

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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

• https://www.royalcupcoffee.com/our-story
• https://www.royalcupcoffee.com/blog/articles/royal-cup-coffee-tea-through-decades
• https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Royal_Cup_Coffee
• https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/media/royal-cup-coffee-roasting-facility/
• https://bhamnow.com/2021/10/05/birmingham-based-royal-cup-coffee-celebrating-125-years-of-excellence/
• https://businessalabama.com/not-your-average-cup-of-joe/
• https://www.purecoffeecraft.com/alabama-coffee-roastersthe-list-and-coffee-history/