As a coffee roasting company, we operate primarily as wholesalers; that is, we sell the coffee we roast to restaurants, cafes, hotels, and other establishments which want to drink and serve tasty coffee. Because this is such a big part of our business, we thought it might be useful to describe how we view wholesaling at Centri. This post will describe our philosophy on wholesale, the services we are able to provide, as well as our ongoing approach to serving and supporting our wholesale partners. Our hope is that in digging into wholesale, we can provide insight into our business practices and effectively convey the seriousness with which we approach coffee and customer service.
Our Wholesale Philosophy
The way we approach wholesale is well represented in a simple language choice; instead of referring to the businesses we wholesale to as customers, we prefer to call them partners. We use this term because partner accurately describes the relationships we strive to build with our wholesale clients. Customers merely purchase product from vendors; partners work to serve one another effectively in a mutually beneficial relationship.
In other words, our goal is not merely to sell coffee; we strive also to ensure that our clients are well set-up for success in every facet of their business. To this end, we work to help our partners arrange and equip their coffee preparation areas efficiently, plan menus and coffee offerings effectively, and provide ongoing service, training, and general support, supplying quality coffee all the while. Because a partnership runs both ways, we also endeavor to cultivate open dialogue with our wholesale clients through regular check-ins and on-site visits. Whether it be discussions on dialing in new coffees, talking shop about coffee roasting and brewing, or feedback on coffee quality, the conversations we have with our partners make us better roasters and retailers of coffee, which in turn helps us to serve them more effectively. At the end of the day, the businesses we partner with to sell coffee are made up of people, and people matter. Our wholesale program is tailored to emphasize and reiterate this simple fact.
What We Provide
Now that all the philosophical stuff is out of the way, let’s get to brass tacks; what can Centri Coffee provide to a prospective wholesale partner? The answer is quite a lot.
Roasting and selling top-notch coffee is our passion, and as such our offering list is both delicious and dynamic. We roast a seasonally rotating variety of single-origin coffees, as well several dark roasts, decaffeinated coffees, and blends. We focus on offering reasonably priced coffees with well-rounded, accessible, and varied flavor profiles that can suit any palate. We also focus heavily, though not exclusively, on organic coffees because of our belief in the importance of sustainability.
Good equipment is just as important as good coffee; as such, we have a range of equipment programs designed to get any potential partner up and running for a very competitive price. If a partner is interested in buying new equipment, we also maintain relationships with major manufacturers and can pass on coffee equipment to partners at wholesale cost. We also provide our partners with service and repairs from our in-house tech team at a discounted rate; whatever the issue, we can help you fix it.
Even before coffee or equipment are in place, we provide a variety of training services free of charge. From basic coffee brewing techniques, to ongoing barista education, to sensory exercises and exploration, we’re able to assist clients of any experience level in continuing to build their coffee skillset. Training can take place in your café space, or our roastery’s coffee lab-the choice is yours. Additionally, we offer free weekly delivery for customers in our local footprint (Ventura, Ojai, and Santa Paula). If you’re outside that area, we offer free shipping on orders above $150.
All in all, we strive to offer a robust suite of products and services to effectively meet the needs of any person or business that enjoys and wants to serve good coffee.
Our Ongoing Approach
Now that we’ve outlined our approach to wholesale and described the services we provide, I’d like to offer our ongoing approach to service and support for our wholesale clients, which is extremely simple; we are proactive and customer oriented. If you’re a Centri customer, you are not a name or a number; you and your employees are people whose success and satisfaction we are interested and invested in. We’ll be checking in on you regularly to make sure you’re enjoying the coffee we’re sending your way and that you have everything you need to be successful. If you don’t, we’ll help you figure it out. Whether it be troubleshooting your espresso machine, training new baristas in basic coffee techniques, or just talking coffee, we’re here for you; your success is our success.
In conclusion, Centri Coffee has a very simple wholesale strategy; we value people, provide tasty coffee and a robust suite of support services, and are in consistent dialogue with our partners to ensure good coffee and good times are flowing.
We hope this look into our thinking on wholesale has been enlightening, and if you’re interested in setting up a wholesale account, feel free to drop us a line at info@centricoffee.com, or call us at 805.643.3383. We hope to hear from you soon. Until next time!