Stumptown

Stumptown Coffee Roasters opened in 1999 on Southeast Division Street in a former beauty parlor called "Hair Bender," the name that became their signature espresso blend. They now operate cafes across the United States and in Kyoto, Japan, and roast on Probat machines—the same German cast-iron equipment they started with, including refurbished vintage units chosen for their decades-long reliability.

In 2003 they pioneered what became known as Direct Trade, beginning with a partnership with the Aguirre family of Finca El Injerto in Guatemala that continues more than twenty years later. They buy coffee directly from producers rather than through anonymous intermediaries, paying premiums tied to cup quality assessed through Q-Grading methodology. In 2024, over ninety percent of their purchases came through relationships of three or more consecutive years with producers across Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Their roasting team brings over 120 collective years of experience to the work, focusing on bringing out what makes each variety or farm distinctive rather than imposing a house style.