Our Story
What happens when four kids, a candy business, and a conversation about coffee come together.
It Started With a Snack Line
It was a Friday afternoon at Bell Middle School, and one of our founders had a line of customers. His business was simple — buy wholesale snacks, find things the local shops didn't carry, and sell them after dismissal. When a neighbor joined the line, a parent made an offhand comment that changed everything.
“I asked him jokingly what he was going to do once his customers grew up. And then I mentioned coffee.”
That conversation sparked something. Four friends and neighbors dove headfirst into the world of coffee.
A Crash Course in Coffee
“The only thing I knew about coffee was that my dad loves lattes. That's coffee with milk. We know A LOT more now.”
The kids learned that coffee is a tree crop grown in the tropical highlands of Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. It's imported as green coffee and roasted near consumers for freshness. They learned the difference between Arabica and Robusta, between light and dark roasts, between sourcing and selling.
“We asked a lot of questions.”
We source specialty Arabica beans from Sucafina, a New York-based coffee tradehouse, and personally roast, bag, and label every batch at Ryze Collective, a roasting facility in Peekskill.
Why “Classroom”?
“We realized that the common thread was education. That's why many people are here in the first place, for the schools. And we're using this as a vehicle to teach our kids about starting and managing a business. The ‘classroom’ in Classroom Coffee came from that.”
10% for Teachers
Classroom Coffee's mission is to support education through coffee. We donate 10% of our proceeds as roasted coffee to the teachers and staff at Grafflin Elementary and Bell Middle School in the Chappaqua school district.
“That's definitely the best part. Our school custodian brought his own grinder and brewing equipment to school so that the teachers could all try it. They said it was great. I like to bring in the donations.”
Only the Good Stuff
“We buy only specialty coffee. We only use Arabica coffee. It's the nicer bean. Robusta has more caffeine and it's bitter.”
Our beans are sourced from premier growing regions including Guatemala and Colombia. Every batch is roasted fresh and made available as whole bean or ground, in our Early Bird Blend (dark roast) and Eager Beaver Blend (medium roast).
What's Next
Our vision is for Classroom Coffee to be a true part of the community — connected to the school system as a program for local students to learn about managing a small business, about supply chains, accounting, web design, and sales. We're growing our subscription service and making it easier than ever for our neighbors to enjoy great coffee delivered right to their door.
Have your coffee with class.
Every cup supports local education and a group of students learning that the best businesses are the ones that give back.