Getting your coffee beans into Google’s headquarters might sound like an impossible task. Colby Barr and Ryan O’Donovan didn’t have that goal in mind when they launched Verve Coffee in 2007—they simply wanted to run a café when not surfing.
Verve Coffee became the go-to fuel for many Silicon Valley tech giants by focusing on sourcing great tasting coffee beans and supporting farmers that grow them. Today, Verve Coffee can be found inside coffee bars at companies like Facebook and Salesforce and in thousands of stores, such as Whole Foods and REI.
Below, Colby shares how to grow a brand by focusing on sourcing the best ingredients and establishing meaningful relationships.
How to grow a business on the quality of products and relationships
There are many ways to launch and scale a successful business. For Colby and Ryan, putting quality and community first was a winning recipe. Learn how to grow your own business the Verve Coffee Way
1. Get educated on your industry and product
“I became infatuated with where coffee comes from, the sourcing of it, and the differences between mildly OK coffee, good coffee, and exceptional coffee,” Colby says. Immersing yourself in the culture of your business is vital to understanding how to source the best quality ingredients or materials. Colby was able to differentiate between the type of coffee he wanted for his company and the type he did not want, because he took the time to notice the nuances.
Maintaining a high standard was always important for Colby and his co-founder. He studied what type of coffee was currently on the market and traveled to discover what else was available. “We thought, Who cares what anyone else is doing, let’s just lead the way,” Colby says.
2. Create sustainable relationships with suppliers
Colby has built intimate relationships with farmers and now knows which ones take the most care for their crops and the quality of their coffee beans. “The hand of the farmers is a big part of what I consider,” Colby says.
By visiting farms and establishing true, personal relationships, Colby can more easily select which farmers to work with based on their practices, results, and overall ethics for the growing process.
3. Support the community you work with—and the environment around it
“We worked with a really small community up in Northern Colombia and we planted 60,000 seedlings of an heirloom variety,” Colby says. Working directly with farmers to produce their coffee means Colby and the Verve Coffee team can ensure their production is having a positive effect on the community and environment it’s grown in.
“These producers are actually utilizing these seedlings to not only enhance their own farm, but a lot of them are using them as the impetus to get the next generation involved,” Colby says. Growing heirloom crops allows for more regenerative farming, a process that causes less damage to the soil, promises better crop resistance, and inspires family members to get involved in the process.
By following Colby’s sourcing guidelines, you can grow a single idea into a force making waves in an established industry.
Tune in to the full Shopify Masters episode to discover more of Colby’s sourcing tips and his advice for connecting with major brands that can help elevate your business and increase your brand awareness.
Verve Coffee FAQ
How did Verve Coffee get started?
Verve Coffee Roasters launched when co-founders Verve Coffee Roasters is a coffee roaster based in Santa Cruz, California, founded by Colby Barr and Ryan O'Donovan. Verve opened in November, 2007 in Pleasure Point, California. The pair grew the company by focusing on sourcing high-quality beans and building direct relationships with coffee farmers, turning a local shop into a brand served at major tech offices and retailers nationwide.
Where is Verve Coffee roasted and headquartered?
Verve Coffee is roasted in Santa Cruz, California, where the company was founded, and it now runs multiple café locations across the state. The company currently operates in several California-based locations, including four in Santa Cruz, four in Los Angeles along with additional cafés in cities such as San Francisco. Coffee ordered online ships directly from these roasting facilities to customers anywhere in the country.
What awards has Verve Coffee won?
Verve Coffee has picked up several industry honors over the years for both its roasting and its café experience. Verve earned the highest score in the coffee category at the Good Food Awards in 2013 and was also named one of the top coffee roasters in the United States by Thrillist, Complex Magazine, and Food Republic. In 2018, they won the Best Espresso at the Coffee Spot Awards, and Roast Magazine later named Verve Roaster of the Year 2024 in recognition of its commitment to innovating the coffee industry while uplifting all the people who touch the coffee lifecycle.
Where can you buy Verve Coffee besides its own cafés?
Verve Coffee is stocked in thousands of retail stores, including Whole Foods and REI, in addition to being served at its own cafés. The brand also supplies coffee bars inside offices at companies such as Facebook and Salesforce, putting its beans in front of both everyday grocery shoppers and corporate coffee drinkers. Coffee can also be ordered directly online for home delivery.
Does Verve Coffee offer a coffee subscription?
Yes, Verve Coffee runs a Subscribe & Save program that delivers freshly roasted beans on a recurring schedule so customers don't run out between orders. Subscribers can choose their preferred blend or single-origin coffee to have shipped automatically, and free shipping is available on qualifying orders of $35 or more.
