Seattle's Best Coffee Brand Story

Welcome to Seattle’s Best Coffee®

Illustration of Seattle skyline at sunset with the Space Needle, various skyscrapers, a bridge, and an orange cat looking at

Who We Are

At Seattle’s Best Coffee®, we like to keep things simple because great‑tasting coffee shouldn’t feel complicated. Our approach starts with high‑quality beans, roasted just right, so you can serve smooth, enjoyable coffee to every customer, every day.

From long‑time espresso lovers to fans of flavoured lattes, we believe everyone should feel at home with our coffee. That’s why we stay true to the values that have guided us from the very beginning:

Who we are: A brand built on welcoming every type of coffee drinker.

We challenge the status quo: Always ready to do things the Seattle’s Best way bold, simple, and refreshingly different.

We keep things honest: No fuss, no over‑complication just great coffee made easy.

We live up to our name: Delivering smooth, delicious coffee that you can rely on, cup after cup.

What Makes Us The Best?

Steaming cup of Seattle's Best Coffee in a red cup surrounded by colorful leaves, coffee beans, a flower, and an orange cat.

Only the (Seattle's) best

Our coffee buyers travel across the world to buy the very best 100% Arabica green coffee each region has to offer. It’s these top-quality coffee beans that give us our signature smooth taste in every cup.

An unbeatable blend

We like to keep things simple, so you can too. From the machine and beans to our straightforward menus and delicious syrups, we’ll make sure you have everything you need to keep serving great tasting, uncomplicated coffee every time

Your brew pal

We’re not just about great coffee. We’re here to share our know-how too. Not sure about plant-based alternatives? We’ve got you covered with recommendations from oat to coconut. And, like a true pal, we’ll leave the final call up to you.

• Started roasting on Seattle’s Pier 70
• Opened at Pike Place Market
• Welcomed Henry the Cat, who inspired Henry’s Blend

• Expanded across the Pacific Northwest
• Moved roasting to Vashon Island
• Introduced our first flavoured coffees

• Won a competition for “best cup of coffee in Seattle”
• Officially adopted the Seattle’s Best Coffee® name
• Launched our first website

• Joined Starbucks
• Expanded into grocery stores nationwide
• Partnered with major brands to reach new customers
• Opened 100+ new drive‑thrus in key regions

In 2022, joined Nestlé to continue expanding our reach and innovation

About Our Coffee

Our team sources high‑quality Arabica beans from some of the most celebrated coffee‑growing regions around the world. Each region offers distinct flavour traits, and we carefully select beans that deliver the profile that defines Seattle’s Best Coffee®.

Although coffee grows across several continents, our blends primarily feature beans from Latin America because they offer the smooth, approachable flavour we’re known for.

Every Cup Matters

A key part of Nestlé’s Net Zero commitment by 2050 is encouraging regenerative farming practices. Seattle’s Best Coffee is proud to be a part of this. Nestlé has begun reforestation activities near the Amazon basin where our coffee is grown by planting an initial 30,000 new native trees in Peru. You can make delicious Seattle’s Best Coffee for your customers knowing that this action is taking place

Text on red labels stating "100% responsibly sourced and Fairtrade certified" and "100% Arabica beans" on a light background.

Growing, Harvesting & Processing The Best

Hands harvesting ripe red coffee cherries from a green coffee plant with leafy branches in the background.

Growing

A single coffee tree produces enough ripe cherries each year for about a pound of roasted coffee, which is why quality matters. There are two main coffee species, but we choose to work exclusively with high quality Arabica. These beans grow best at elevations above 3,000 feet, where cooler climates help them develop the smooth, balanced flavour that comes to life through our roasting process.

Person pouring freshly picked coffee cherries from a colander into a blue processing container outdoors.

Harvesting

During harvest, the coffee cherries turn bright red, signalling the beans inside are ready. Each cherry contains several layers: skin, fruit, mucilage, parchment, and silverskin. All of which protect and influence the bean before processing begins. Most cherries hold two beans, but some develop a single round “peaberry,” prized for its unique shape and flavour.

Processing

The way coffee is processed after harvest plays a major role in shaping flavour, acidity and body. Four main methods are commonly used:

Lush green coffee plants in the foreground with rolling forested hills and a bright blue sky with scattered clouds in the bac

Washed Process
Cherries are pulped, fermented, rinsed and then dried, creating a clean, bright flavour profile.

Semi‑Washed Process
Pulp is removed, beans are washed and partially dried, then finished in the sun for a balanced, gentle flavour.

Natural Process
Whole cherries dry in the sun before the fruit and parchment are removed, producing sweeter, fuller, fruit‑forward notes.

Honey Process
Part of the sticky mucilage layer is intentionally left on the bean, giving the coffee a rich, sweet character; variations like yellow, red or black honey reflect how much mucilage remains.

Seattle's Best Coffee Brand & Coffee Knowledge