Coffee Service Corner

Coffee Service Corner INTERVIEW WITH COPPER MOON’S GUTWEIN BROTHERS

by Ken Shea

President Cary Gutwein CEO Brad Gutwein VP of Sales Dan Gutwein

Copper Moon Coffee, LLC, is a family-owned coffee roaster in Lafayette, Indiana. Focused on a single mission: To create evenly roasted, uniquely smooth, high-grade coffee – giving you an entirely KS: Tell me more about the level of involvement that you have with farmers and others at countries of origin. How do those relationships enhance your viability as a roaster? satisfying taste that’s out of this world. We do this with our family values of integrity, trust, and hospitality. Copper Moon Coffee operates a state-ofCG: Our coffee sourcing program is a multi-tiered approach; we call it the the-art food-grade certified roaster and is a certified roaster of Organic, Fair SEE Copper Moon Rising sustainability program. SEE stands for Social, Trade, and Kosher coffees. Consumers can “Reach for the Moon” online at Economic, and Environmental, and we seek to make substantive progress in coppermooncoffee.com and at retailers across the country. each of those pillars for the good of coffee farmers and the coffee industry. We’ve done this through programs where we have directly contracted I have had the pleasure of knowing the Gutwein family for more than a with small growers in Honduras and El Salvador to support them directly. decade, having been a coffee customer of theirs, and then acquiring their Additionally, we have joined the Sustainable Coffee Challenge that is Indiana OCS routes during my days at Standard Coffee Service. I engage with administered by Conservation International. the Gutwein brothers on various projects through my consulting business. I spoke to Gary Gutwein, President of Copper Moon Coffee, about the business KS: What do you see as keys for roasters surviving, hopefully thriving, as of coffee and the current state of the industry. we navigate through this pandemic, which has decimated office populations and driven OCS operator revenues to well below 50% of pre-pandemic KS: It’s been great to reconnect with you. It’s also good to see Copper Moon numbers? maintaining a viable presence during these unprecedented times. To what do you attribute your ability to survive during this terrible pandemic? CG: We will need to be creative and look for those opportunities and methods of business that are different than what we are doing now. In time I think that CG: This COVID period has been extremely difficult. Fortunately, we roast the offices will return, and the OCS business will come out of this; it may take and pack ground, whole bean, and single-serve coffees for the retail trade as some time, but it will happen. We hope to be there when it does, both for the well as for the foodservice class of trade, including drip brew coffee, served operators, distributors, and end customers. Ours is a value-add approach. We in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and C-Stores. But make no mistake, we have partner with our customers in search of developing new opportunities and suffered alongside our OCS and Foodservice customers. We look forward to building upon what we have. working with our customers as they adjust and ease back to some normalcy in the near future. KS: Cary, I thank you for the time that you set aside for this timely and meaningful interview. All of us at CoffeeTalk wish you and our entire KS: At one time, Copper Moon had coffee service routes. What prompted roaster community the very best! the sale of that business? In Closing: As I continue to reach out to suppliers, distributors, and CG: Our focus today is on being a wholesale roaster. As you know, Ken, operator friends during this pandemic, most continue to report a painful operating a coffee route business, is unique and different from the roasting business condition. Though we remain in the most and packaging part of the business. We felt we could better serve our challenging times that I have ever personally customers by having our attention being on the manufacturing aspects of witnessed, it is encouraging to witness the the coffee business. Additionally, taking this position eliminated our being a creativity, ability to adapt and pivot, and the competitor to our operator customers. re-positioning of companies for a rebound and even greater success. The attributes of great KS: With your focus now solely as a roaster, what classes of trade are you leaders shine most clearly when facing the targeting? headwinds of adversity.

CG: The Office Coffee Service, Foodservice, C-Store, and Hospitality markets have certainly been key markets for us. We roast and package coffee for the retail grocery category as well. The response to our brands has been excellent. As you know, we also operate a few cafes in Indiana. That exposure has been very beneficial. Nurturing, positive company cultures that support and promote a team environment provide strong foundations during the best and worst of times. Copper Moon is one of these companies. Ken is President of Ken Shea and Associates, providing specialized solutions to operators and suppliers in the Coffee, Tea and Water Industries.