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How One Coffee Roaster Scaled to 15 Million Without a Café
Description
Episode 49 of Scaling Up with Fexingo tells the story of Red Claw Coffee, a roaster in Portland that grew from a single farmer's market stall to $15 million in annual revenue without opening a single café. Lucas and Luna break down how founder Maria Torres built a wholesale-first business selling to 600 offices, hotels, and restaurants by solving the freshness gap in workplace coffee. They cover the key decisions: using a subscription model with roast-to-order logistics, bypassing retail shelves to control margins, and hiring baristas to train client staff rather than serve customers. Also discussed: why Torres rejected a $5 million acquisition offer in 2023 and how that bet paid off. The episode closes with a reflection on the hidden advantages of staying out of the consumer spotlight.