We sit down with Jamie Jeschke, co-founder of La Cosecha Coffee Roasters in St. Louis, Missouri. Jamie shares how La Cosecha grew from a small, garage-based side hustle in 2006 into a thriving coffee business through a steady, patient approach to growth. The company’s success was built on a commitment to fair trade, sustainable sourcing, and cultivating strong relationships with both farmers and customers. Jamie discusses key challenges they faced, such as scaling without taking on debt, expanding into a coffee bar, and creatively growing through their mobile coffee truck. He emphasizes how La Cosecha’s deliberate, sustainable growth model, combined with their focus on community and ethical business practices, has allowed them to maintain quality and integrity while expanding their wholesale operations and customer base.
Key Takeaways
1. Origin Story: La Cosecha Coffee Roasters started as a passion project in 2005 when one of the co-founders was introduced to freshly roasted coffee and became intrigued by the process.
2. Transitioning to a Business: In 2006, the co-founders started La Cosecha as a side hustle, selling to local businesses. By 2009, the workload had become too much, leading them to consider opening a coffee bar and bringing on a third partner.
3. Careful Growth and Financing: La Cosecha opted to invest their own funds back into the business rather than take out loans, partnering with a customer to share space and reduce expenses. This allowed them to open the coffee bar in 2013 after a two-year preparation period.
4. Sourcing and Fair Trade Focus: La Cosecha's core mission is to source 100% fair trade coffee, building relationships with importers and even directly supporting some farms to improve their processes.
5. Unique Offerings and Marketing: La Cosecha differentiates itself through its experimental roasting approach, personalized customer service, and creative marketing initiatives like the coffee truck.
6. Challenges and Future Plans: As the wholesale business has grown, La Cosecha is now facing capacity constraints in their current roasting space and is actively seeking a dedicated roasting facility to accommodate expansion.
7. Advice for Aspiring Owners: Key advice includes seeking input from other small business owners, starting small, and maintaining a realistic understanding of the challenges involved in running a coffee business.