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Topeka · United States

PT's Coffee Roasting Co.

Since 1993 · Jeff Taylor, Fred Polzin

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Overview

PT's was founded in 1993 in Topeka by photojournalist Jeff Taylor (T) and fast-food restaurant manager Fred Polzin (P) as PT's Caffe Espresso — a coffeehouse opened because Taylor couldn't find a decent cup of coffee in town. The pair began roasting in 1997, started traveling to origin in 2001, and helped establish the framework for what later became known as Direct Trade; Taylor was also a founding committee member of the United States Barista Competition in 1999.

Known for

  • Direct Trade pioneer — sources roughly 80% of coffee through direct relationships
  • Roast Magazine Macro Roaster of the Year
  • Yemen Haraaz Red Mahal Aqeeq ul Station Natural — 97-point Coffee Review score, named #1 coffee of the year
  • Acquired Bird Rock Coffee Roasters of San Diego
  • Kansas-themed blend lineup (Flying Monkey, Flatlander, John Brown, Ad Astra Per Aspera, Flor del Sol, Cold Front)
  • Founding committee member of the United States Barista Competition (1999)

Why it matters

PT's is one of the small handful of US roasters credited with establishing the Direct Trade model in the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains an outsized influence on the US Midwest specialty scene from a city — Topeka, Kansas — that no one would have predicted as a specialty hub.

Production

destoning
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head roaster
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color sorting
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roaster machine
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filter equipment
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cupping frequency
20–30 coffees a day cupped by Director of Quality Control Maritza Suarez-Taylor
roastery location
South Topeka, Kansas
espresso equipment
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annual volume tonnes
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Café

Topeka (Fleming Place flagship cafe); downtown Kansas City (Crossroads Arts District); Wheatfield Village drive-through, Topeka

Recognitions

  • Roast Magazine — Macro Roaster of the Year
  • Coffee Review — 97 points, #1 coffee of the year (Yemen Haraaz Red Mahal Aqeeq ul Station Natural)
  • Good Food Award — Ethiopia Nanno Challa Heirloom
  • Greater Topeka Partnership — Manufacturer of the Year (44th annual Small Business Awards)

Sources

More roasters