From Cali and Denmark to Chicago, Guest Coffee Programs Gaining Popularity

By editor2 | October 3, 2018 |

Approximately 30% of the U.S. population drinks coffee on a consistent basis. The majority of coffee-drinkers enjoy a cup or two in the morning, a large number of drinkers have a cup with their lunch, and a select few prefer a coffee after dinner to get them through the evening.

Coffee drinkers enjoy coffee from their hometowns, as well as national and international coffee chains. But rarely does someone in one part of the country have the opportunity to regularly drink a blend of coffee from another. Someone in Illinois usually isn’t able to try a specialty coffee from San Rafael, California or Brooklyn, New York — until now.

Thanks to a popular new trend within the coffee industry, coffee shops are now offering guest coffee, which are various blends and styles brewed and sold in other parts of the country.

According to the Chicago Tribune, similar to guest beers, out-of-town coffee programs have been gaining tremendous popularity across Illinois, and will likely pour over to other cities across the United States.

“It’s how the coffee culture has evolved,” said Ken Tsang, director of technology and marketing at Standard Market in Chicago. “It’s akin to wine and beer. People are willing to learn about a product, and we want to give people options. It fits our matrix.”

Standard Market offers more than 35 varieties from 12 out-of-town coffee roasters. Additionally, the coffee shop has shelves lined with bags from award-winning roasters.

“I was very, very excited about the program,” said Troy Hoertman, a 23-year-old barista at Standard Market. “I think we’ve had a lot of people discover coffee they’re not accustomed to and found new favorites.”

Here are some coffee shops across Chicago that are featuring guest-coffees from all over the country:

Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea — Guest coffees: Colectivo from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Frothy Monkey from Nashville, Tennessee; Stumptown from Portland, Oregon; and Verve from Santa Cruz, California.
DropShot Coffee Bar — Guest coffee: Toby’s Estate from Brooklyn, New York.
Wormhole Cafe — Guest coffee: Ozo Coffee from Boulder, Colorado.
Damn Fine Coffee Bar — Guest coffee: Equator from San Rafael, California.
Purple Llama — Guest coffees: April Coffee from Copenhagen, Denmark; The Barn from Berlin, Germany; Color Roasters from Eagle, Colorado; Sey from Brooklyn, New York; and Counter Culture from Durham, North Carolina.