Around the time Portland, Stumptown, and Chicago's Intelligentsia were being established, the third wave of coffee was also emerging in Durham, North Carolina.
Counterculture Coffee is a specialty coffee roasting company based there. Since its founding in 1995, the company has been known for its commitment to education and sustainability. Operating as a wholesale-only roasting company with a nationwide network of training centers, it has become a leading brand in the US specialty coffee industry.
Counterculture Coffee was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1995 by Brett Smith and Fred Hauck.
The company began by creating custom blends for local restaurants in the "Triangle" area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
Today, the company roasts specialty coffee and sells it primarily in the United States through wholesale partnerships and direct sales channels.
The company's core identity is sustainability, quality, and transparency in the coffee supply chain.
Since its inception, Counter Culture has adopted a "triple bottom line" approach, prioritizing social, environmental, and financial sustainability in its vision and business decisions.
Since 2009, Counter Culture has published annual or periodic transparency/sustainability reports that showcase its pricing, partners, and impact.
Counter Culture imports from dozens of independent farmers, estates, and cooperatives around the world, a list that changes annually. The most accurate way to learn who they source from is through their publicly available transparency/sustainability reports, which list each producer partner's name, country, quantity, and price.
Counter Culture Coffee Transparency Reports
Counter Culture operates multiple training centers in cities across the United States, including Durham, New York, Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta.
These centers offer classes in brewing, espresso, sensory skills, and barista skills, and serve as classroom and event spaces for both wholesale partners and the general public.
A signature event is "Tasting at 10," a public cupping event held every Friday morning where visitors can sample and learn about the latest coffees.
Through its "Two for the Future" donation program, Counter Culture donates 2 cents from every pound of coffee sold to support Seeds and Bloom sustainability initiatives.
The Seeds Fund provides grants to projects proposed by coffee growers and organizations, with over $580,000 allocated to date.
The Bloom Fund supports cafe-level sustainability initiatives such as barista wages, equipment improvements, and post-hurricane recovery assistance.
Counter Culture Coffee is a Certified B Corporation, meeting high standards for social and environmental performance and accountability.
Certified B Corporations (commonly referred to as B Corps) are for-profit businesses in the US that are rigorously verified to meet high standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
The company is frequently featured in industry media as a leading independent roaster and has earned a reputation for promoting quality, transparency and education in specialty coffee.
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