The History of Specialty Coffee and Its Rise in Popularity

➢ For a proper specialty coffee bean, it is graded on a 100-point quality scale based on the standards by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Any type of bean ranging between 80 and 100 on the scale is considered part of the specialty coffee bean group.

➢ It is said that specialty coffee has been enjoyed by people from all walks of life since the early 1900s when it was offered to patrons of select hotels and restaurants. The term “specialty coffee” did not become widely used until the 1970s when high-end coffee shops begin using the type of bean as their only source. Today, specialty coffee is served in stand-alone coffee shops, restaurants, food service bars, and homes.