Coffee and Tea · Oakland, California
Blue Bottle Coffee
The Oakland roaster that helped define fresh, carefully made specialty coffee.
- Founded
- 2002
- Founded by
- James Freeman
- Based in
- Oakland, California
Their story
Blue Bottle Coffee started in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood in 2002, when James Freeman began roasting tiny batches to deliver to customers soon after roasting. The deliveries soon gave way to a cafe. He took the name from The Blue Bottle Coffee House, one of Europe's first cafes.
The company grew into an international chain. Nestle bought a majority stake in 2017, and in 2026 Centurium Capital acquired Blue Bottle's global cafe business from Nestle.
How it's made
Blue Bottle built its name on freshness, roasting in small batches and focusing on single-origin beans alongside its blends. Freeman's original plan was to sell coffee within a day of roasting.
Our featured pick
Bright Coffee Beans (12OZ)
$22.00
Blue Bottle's darkest blend, comprising organic coffees from Uganda, Papua New Guinea, and Sumatra, is downright viscous in the cup.
Why we carry them
Blue Bottle is a Bay Area original, and its beans make a reliably great cup at home. We like the single origins for a pour-over.
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