March 13, 2005
(Updated) Props To Those Who Deal Our Coffee Fix
'Sunday Oregonian' On Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
Today's Sunday Oregonian has a pair of articles which speak of our beloved and indispensable Stumptown Coffee Roasters, to whom we once dedicated a prayer.
Regular readers know that we frequently refer to their Division location as our neighborhood branch office, and their downtown location as our satellite office. Of course, should we move, that dynamic may change, so by way of compensation, we offer pointers to today's articles.
First, there's a more general article about companies which attract part-time workers with benefits and perks -- such as, in Stumptown's case, not only providing health benefits but allowing employees who take their bands on tour to keep it during that time.
Second, there's a profile of sorts of Duane Sorenson, Stumptown's founder. It includes tidbits which help illuminate why so many of us are nearly religious about Stumptown -- such as paying "above what's considered fair-trade price for coffee beans" often in exchange for things such as requiring "farmers to sign a contract pledging to provide health care for their workers".
They are, in many ways, one of the prime exemplars of the much-ballyhood small business economy in Portland, and as such we have very little difficulty providing them with what amounts to a little free advertising via this post -- although we think a fair number of our readers are Stumptown-committed already anyway.
Update
Wouldn't you know it, there is at least one blog related to Stumptown Coffee. Scroll way down, past all the stuff from this weekend's barista championship, and check out their new espresso machines.
Update
By the way, for those who for some peculiar reason might still not know why Portland once managed to get tagged with the nickname Stumptown, here's the story (and hence why we've added this to our History category).
A long time ago, in Portland's very early days, when the streets were laid out, the stumps of the removed trees were left in place. In the fierce competition amongst the various townsites along the Willamette River, all trying to promote themselves as the so-called "head of navigation", Portland's rivals latched onto this fact and began belittling our fair townsite as Little Stumptown.
For what it's worth, as an extra historical tidbit, at one point Portland painted those stumps white, in order to address the fact that they tended to be something of a hazard at night, when they couldn't be seen. We once alluded to this in our suggestion for a piece of public art.
Comments (4)
indy on 13 Mar 2005
But when it comes down to it the taste of the coffee is the single most important factor. I don't know if the stumptown is different where you've delighted in it's "corporate policies," but the Stumptown I've had (backspace on 5th, some other place across from the bank of california,) has been bland and pathetic, and left me craving more flavor.
Betsy on 13 Mar 2005
Try it elsewhere first before you jump to the 'bland and pathetic' conclusion, please. I've had it at a few places around town (as well as at the Belmont & downtown Stumptown locations) and it really is in how it's made.
It's my own personal choice at home; I've also turned on others to the coffee as well (both coffee snob types and regular coffee drinkers who were inclined to tease me at first about my own perceived snobbery.)
The One True b!X on 13 Mar 2005
Ah yes, I forgot to mention the coffee itself. Well, I didn't know a single thing about their corporate ethos when I started going to Stumptown. It was all about the coffee.
Meg on 13 Mar 2005
I've never been to StumpTown, I live up the mountain - but I'm going to make the trip down there just to show my support for Duane Sorenson and his business practices.
How refreshing to see some real coverage on an ethical, compassionate - and obviously business savvy - young business owner. Right on, Duane!
I hope The Oregon Restaurant Association - those great guys who spend millions to lobby against minimum wage and who won't stop whining about taking a reduced cut on the lottery's new line games - take note.
All I see in the mainstream media anymore is regurgitated doublespeak from fatcats who keep trying to convince us that it's not possible to turn a profit these days AND still share a little with the folks that helped get you there - like employees.
But lo and behold - Sorenson built a small service business from scratch that's not only obviously quite successful, but socially responsible as well. Go figure.
Keep it up Duane, you give me hope for a kinder, saner world. We are in desperate need of more of your kind of "ownership society".