Does anyone know anything about Atlantic Specialty Coffee, Inc.? It's a coffee importer based in Hayward, CA -- indeed, they are on the same floor as my wife's law office, and they're roasting a batch right now.

It's a little odd to have someone filling the 6th floor hallways with the smell of roasted coffee, but considering I have three espresso machine in the office . . . . . . and that the small bag of Kona No. 1 they dropped off at the office before the holidays was pretty damned good . . .

Anyone know anything?

Cheers,
Jason

As you say, Atlantic Specialty Coffee is a coffee importer. They were an outgrowth of Atlantic coffee, based in New York, and that's the reason for the name. Nowadays, both are part of the ECOM group, a multinational coffee (and other agricultural commodities) trading network.

One reason Atlantic Specialty is based in Hayward, instead of back east, is that there is a tradition of specialty coffee importers being based in the bay area. Royal Coffee is based in Emeryville, as was Holland coffee. Now, Volcafe Specialty and Interamerican have offices there too. The San Francisco bay has been the biggest port of entry for specialty coffee since the beginning. Knutsen coffee, thought by many to be the very first of the Specialty Coffee importers (Erna Knutsen invented the phrase "Specialty Coffee") is based in San Francisco.

These companies import and sell coffee to lots of roasters of all kinds across the U.S. Sometimes, they import coffee on their own to sell to roasters out of their warehouse. Other times, they import coffee as a service to roasters for a fee.

The staff at Atlantic are among the nicest and best in the specialty coffee industry. I was just in those very offices a few weeks ago, tasting and talking coffee with those fine folks. If you drop by there, please tell them I say hello

Peter G

Thanks, Peter -- I presumed as such. Their front door is always locked, however, and when I called over to thank them for the Kona (while they were roasting), I got some sort of answering service. But I will definitely relay your regards when I tackle them in the hall!