Our Story

In 1995 we had a big idea: make people’s lives better through coffee. Thanks to our community of producers, roasters, baristas, and supporters, that idea has become reality in the two decades since.

COFFEE CAN BE BETTER

That realization inspired our founders to roast and sell coffee themselves from a Marin County garage in 1995. Coffee can be roasted better, brewed better, and, most importantly, it can be sourced in a way that makes lives better. That garage became Equator Coffees and marked the beginning of a high-impact coffee company focused on quality, sustainability, and social responsibility. Long before anyone thought coffee could embody any of those qualities.

After two decades, nine cafes and thousands of cups served, our impact has grown but our values remain the same.

THE CHAIN OF WELL-BEING

Equator connects global coffee farming communities and coffee lovers in the US. The journey from seed to cup is long. Every step in our supply chain should be equitable, sustainable, and beneficial for all involved. We call it the Chain of Well-Being.

Our strong relationships throughout the coffee community allow us to source distinctive coffees directly from producers committed to excellence, sustainability, and responsible farming. Our Honduras San Vicente Anibal Pineda is a unique coffee from a partner we've worked with for 6 years.

Our dedicated roasting team obsesses about every detail when bringing out the full flavor of our coffees. Strict quality assurance and constant calibration ensure that you’re brewing the best we have to offer. What we do well, we also do good by investing in energy-efficient Loring Smart Roasters to reduce carbon emissions per batch by 80%.