[4] As such, they are regarded as a "boutique" coffee roaster, a company which sources from multiple small estates and cooperatives rather than a single large grower.

Founded by Brett Smith and Fred Houk, their main focus was creating custom coffee blends for some of Durham and Chapel Hill's southern restaurants.

The firm also provides consumers, employees, and wholesale partners with educational programs on coffee brewing, origin, and history.

Public educational initiatives include free "Tastings at Ten" every Friday morning, as well as homebrew labs for coffee enthusiasts offered at a fee.

[9][10][11] Coffee is roasted in two production facilities in Durham, North Carolina (also the company's headquarters) and Emeryville, California.