SEATTLE — September 29th is National Coffee Day and many popular coffee shops offered up special deals and even free drinks to celebrate.
Few cities honor coffee the way Seattle embraces a cup of joe.
Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day and the Emerald City is often referred to as the coffee capital of America.
The Global Pandemic wrought havoc on the supply chain for many industries and coffee is no different. The weather has also damaged crops across the globe that produce the beans that the Seattle coffee drinkers depend on for their daily grind.
Middle Fork Roasters was named after the middle fork of the Snoqualmie River and has been in business since 2009. The small batch roaster says coffee popularity is at an all-time high and balancing the bean shortages and supply chain issues has become more manageable through working directly with importers and farmers around the world.
Filipino co-founder Macky McNish says he’s seen the diversity increase in the industry over the past decade and that’s only strengthened the global partnerships.
“There’s certainly pressure to deliver. We are roasting from 5:30 am to 6 pm and that’s because coffee is the most in-demand product in the world, second to petroleum. It’s the second most consumed commodity next to oil,” McNish said.
Middle Fork Roasters has weekly deliveries from a Brazilian coffee farmer who just so happens to be based in Burien.
Sergio Dias operates JC Coffee Importers and sources beans from the family farm.
“I was born on a coffee farm in Brazil. I’m the fourth generation of coffee producers and partnering with Middle Fork has been an important partnership. They pay more than a fair price and that helps the farmers directly,” Dias said.
If you feel the craving for another cup of coffee today it’s ok.
The average American consumes 3 cups a day, which is part of the reason coffee shops have become so common. Middle Fork Roasters say they’re honored to be among the top three places we visit each day.
"Number one is your home. Number two is the office or wherever you work and three is your local coffee shop,” McNish said.