Bellwether Coffee has launched a financial assistance package for new customers amid the COVID-19 outbreak and closure of cafés across the United States and Canada.
Bellwether Coffee will cover two months of payments for leases and purchases of its zero-emissions commercial coffee roasters installed May through July.
In an effort to support coffee retailers as they seek to pivot business models nationwide, by quickly creating delivery or take-out options and e-commerce stores, Bellwether Coffee wants to make roasting on-site a viable investment.
The company says coffee retailers may not be able to physically open their doors, but with the installation of a Bellwether Roaster, they can still sell coffee and keep their business afloat.
“I had an epiphany yesterday in all of this mess. The Bellwether was supposed to supplement my business. Now, it’s going to be my business driver to help me get out of this mess,” says Greg Vogeley, Owner of Drip Café in Delaware.
No prior coffee roasting experience is required to use the machine with the intuitive software built into every Bellwether Roaster. Bellwether says the roasters do not require a steep learning curve thanks to the automation, built-in roast profiles, temperature stability, and precision controls.
This means an owner can choose a roast profile, or design one of their own with a heat and airflow curve that can be set and executed flawlessly every time.
Bellwether Coffee says it offers environmental benefits to coffee retailers as well. Its commercial coffee roaster removes particulates and VOCs through clean technology for zero emissions. By using electricity instead of natural gas to roast, it reduces the carbon footprint of roasting by an average of 90 per cent. The Bellwether Roaster operates without gas lines, venting, construction, or permitting, which means coffee retailers can be up and roasting from the moment it arrives.
“We understand this is a difficult time for coffee retailers. We’re seeing our customers successfully get through these tough times by roasting on-site, and we want to make sure that same success is available to more businesses by investing in a roaster without the immediate capital expense,” says Nathan Gilliland, CEO of Bellwether Coffee.
“The power of on-site roasting is real, and we truly believe the craft of coffee roasting on-site can help coffee retailers thrive right now.”
The software that controls the Bellwether Roaster also features a curated Marketplace where owners can browse green coffees from all over the world. Each coffee for sale includes detailed information about the coffee’s origin, who produced it, images of the farm and farmers, and tasting notes.
The coffee purchased from the Bellwether Marketplace is added to the app’s inventory management system and shipped in 10-kilogram boxes. Additionally, the software suggests multiple roast profiles created by the Bellwether Coffee Team, or allow owners to make their own.
For more information, visit www.bellwethercoffee.com