Ellis Coffee

Our Story

Ellis Coffee Company is proud of our long, rich history as one of the oldest family-owned coffee roasters in the U.S. Found in 1854 on the Philadelphia waterfront, Ellis Coffee grew into a coffee roaster with a thriving business. Board chairman Gene Kestenbaum joined the business in 1976. Adam Kestenbaum, president since 2010, balances the tradition and relationships of our family-run business with the innovation and professionalism required in today’s market.

We are solution-oriented. We craft high-quality coffees to meet the needs of restaurants, distributors, foodservice hotels, healthcare, and C-stores. Excellent customer service continues to be the hallmark of our success. Today Ellis sources, roasts, and distributes coffees from around the world to customers across the country.

THE ICONIC GIANT COFFEE POT

Ellis Coffee’s history of innovation dates back to the iconic giant coffee pot that John Ellis commissioned atop his roastery at 9 South 16th St. in Philadelphia. Over 2 stories tall and constructed of reinforced concrete and terra cotta covered in chromium plates, this pot was visible for miles. Long before the 21st Century consumer fascination with coffee aromatics and sensory evaluation, Philadelphians were drawn to our then flagship location by the steam and smoke from roasting and delivered through an ingenious system of pipes up through the coffee pot’s huge spout

ROASTERY-DIRECT SHIPPING

When you work with Ellis Coffee you get your coffee “roastery-direct”. We cut out the middlemen and distributors and ship directly to you, our customers, which saves you money while minimizing the carbon footprint associated with shipping. This also means you get your coffee faster and fresher. Minimum orders are low. Turnaround is quick. Within 5 days you’ll have our in-stock items delivered directly to your business.

MARKETS & DISTRIBUTION

Although most of our core business is in the greater northeast, we serve markets along the entire east coast and west to the Rockies. In fact, our two largest accounts are nowhere near our home of Philadelphia – they are located in Maine and Florida. We deliver products and support through our extensive route distribution network and through the direct ship to warehouses.