Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Stumptown Coffee Roasters was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1999 by Duane Sorenson, taking its name from a historical nickname for Portland — 'Stumptown' — derived from the era when the city's trees were cleared for development. From the beginning, Sorenson prioritized direct trade sourcing and paid premiums for coffee of genuine quality, placing Stumptown among the earliest American roasters to formalize this practice. The original Portland café on Southeast Division Street, designed with a mix of vintage furniture and a back bar of serious brewing equipment, established the aesthetic of cozy craft that subsequent locations have maintained. Stumptown grew beyond Portland with locations in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago, and was acquired by Peet's Coffee in 2015, though it continues to operate as an independent brand with its own sourcing and roasting team. The Hair Bender blend — a signature espresso blend with components from Central America, East Africa, and Indonesia — is the most widely associated Stumptown product and appears on menus at hotels, restaurants, and independent cafés that use Stumptown wholesale coffee across the country. The cold brew program, particularly the Cold Brew with Milk in its recognizable stubby glass bottle, introduced many Americans to ready-to-drink cold brew and became a significant commercial product. The nitro cold brew, which delivers cold brew infused with nitrogen through a draft tap, is a flagship café offering at most locations. The roastery in Portland offers cuppings and brewing workshops for coffee enthusiasts.