San Francisco · United States
Sightglass Coffee
Sightglass Coffee is one of 6 San Francisco roasters tracked on day9, in California.
Since 2009 · Jerad Morrison, Justin Morrison
Overview
Sightglass was founded in 2009 by Oregon-born brothers Jerad and Justin Morrison with a service cart in a SoMa warehouse, with early mentorship from James Freeman of Blue Bottle. The company name comes from the viewing window on a vintage Probat roaster. The flagship 7,000-square-foot SoMa roastery and cafe opened in 2011, and the Morrison brothers stepped down in 2024 with former Starbucks executive Sharon Healy taking over as CEO.
Known for
- Vintage Probat roaster as the brand's namesake centerpiece
- Flagship SoMa roastery-cafe with second-floor affogato bar and tasting flights
- Early Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey investment, plus later GingerBread Capital rounds
- West Hollywood (LA) flagship with bakery and all-day restaurant program
- Industrial-chic cafe aesthetic that became a third-wave reference point
Why it matters
Sightglass is one of the defining San Francisco third-wave roasters of its era and now also a case study in the post-founder phase of craft coffee — the Morrisons stepped away in early 2024 after roughly 15 years, with a Starbucks-veteran CEO and GingerBread Capital steering what comes next. How that transition lands matters for the rest of the cohort facing similar succession questions.
Production
- roaster machine
- Vintage Probat
- roastery location
- 270 7th Street, San Francisco (SoMa flagship)
Café
This roaster operates a café.
Recognitions
- Founded with mentorship from Blue Bottle's James Freeman
- Early backing from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey