In this article, one of our customers Max Lathrop, son of Coffee Crafters President Ken Lathrop, explains how he was able to grow a coffee roasting business from his home during the pandemic. Max has an amazing insight starting a home coffee roasting business and shows us how important marketing and social media is to a small business.
COEUR d’ALENE — Rebel Joe Coffee, an artisan micro-roaster, opened Dec. 1 in Coeur d’Alene and is already shipping orders to all 50 states.
Owner Max Lathrop believes the success seems to be in part due to his talents as a professional video producer. He has driven his brand through the creation of what he described as “comedic” video content.
“I grew up wanting to make movies and have developed those skills since I was a kid,” he said. “Getting to essentially make short films to promote my coffee has been a blast and extremely rewarding. Especially since I know I am selling killer coffee.”
Lathrop started roasting coffee as a hobby after he traded services for a small roaster from his father’s Post Falls roaster manufacturing company, Coffee Crafters.
That hobby quickly turned into a new business venture after his videography work nearly disappeared in the wake of COVID-19.
“I could see the writing on the wall, and I knew I needed to do something else. Something COVID and recession proof,” he said. “I have a wife and two small children to support. I wasn’t going to wait around to see what happens.”
Lathrop said selling a commodity 80% of Americans consume just made sense. A few months after he made the decision Rebel Joe Coffee was born.
Rebel Joe Coffee roasts its coffee to order using a hot air roasting method. It offers local delivery to Coeur d’Alene and shipping to all 50 states.
This summer Rebel Joe Coffee plans to launch a mobile coffee trailer serving espresso drinks, cold brew and act as a physical location to buy its beans and merchandise.
Info: Visit www.RebelJoeCoffee.com
