Grounds for Change Wholesale Program
As a specialty roaster, Grounds for Change values our partnerships with the retailers that serve our coffee. Our goal is to work closely with all of our wholesale customers to ensure their success and to share our knowledge of the art of coffee and of the coffee industry.
We ask that our wholesale customers order from us at least once a month. This is to ensure that you are serving the highest quality, freshest coffee possible. We extend wholesale pricing only to those customers who place orders with us on a monthly basis. However, we strongly encourage you to place orders on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for best quality.
Grounds for Change does not require a contract in order to purchase/serve our coffee.
Bulk orders available in either ground or whole bean. Orders must be prepaid via credit card.
All orders shipped via UPS Ground. Time in transit will depend on distance from our facility in Washington State (see UPS transit time map).
Free shipping on all orders over 30 pounds. Excludes customers in Alaska and Hawaii. To obtain free shipping on any order, customers must order at least 30 pounds of coffee every month.
Point-of-Purchase/Promotional Materials
Includes informational postcards, Grounds for Change stickers, bulk bin labels, airpot tags and window clings. All materials are free of charge and can be sent along with your first order.
Discounted Grounds for Change Airpots
Grounds for Change provides discounted airpots for your location. These are stainless steel, 3.0 liter airpots with Grounds for Change branding on the front. We also provide interchangeable roast tags that integrate with the airpots for ease of labeling.
Equipment/Products
Grounds for Change is a vendor for a number of brewing and espresso equipment manufacturers. Contact us for discount pricing information on BUNN brewing equipment and on Rancilio or La Marzocco espresso machines. We also have established wholesale accounts with a number of trade specialists and can source equipment ranging from coffee scoops to scales and smoothie machines or blenders.
Coffee Accessories & Supplies
Some of what we offer:
- Fair Trade Organic tea
- Fair Trade Organic chocolate bars
- Pre-assembled GFC logo cup sleeves
See our Chocolate & Tea Order Form or our Merchandise Order Form for our complete offerings and pricing.
Customer Loyalty Cards
Grounds for Change provides complimentary customer loyalty cards for interested cafes (buy 9, get the 10th free). The cards are versatile enough to be used for bags of our pre-packaged coffee, espresso drinks or drip coffee.
Quarterly E-Newsletter
This includes marketing tips, educational resources and information on industry trends and news, as well as information on new offerings, products and new promotions available from Grounds for Change.
Free Shipping On Orders Over 30 Pounds
Excludes customers in Alaska and Hawaii. To obtain free shipping on any order, customers must order at least 30 pounds of coffee every month.
Listed below is our pricing for bulk (5lb) and pre-packaged (12oz) coffee. Our pre-packaged coffee is available to grocery and natural foods stores and to cafes that serve Grounds for Change coffee. We offer volume discounts for customers whose orders are consistently over 300 lbs a month, contact us at (800) 796-6820 if you have additional questions or to discuss volume discounts.
Please click here to download our Coffee order form.
Please click here to download our Chocolate & Tea order form.
Please click here to download our Merchandise order form.
Regular Coffee
Fair Trade, Organic
(Most Origins & Blends)
5 lb bag: $45.95
12 oz bag: $8.25
Limited-Release Coffee
Fair Trade, Organic
(Origins & Blends)
5 lb bag: $47.95
12 oz bag: $8.50
Decaf Coffee
Fair Trade, Organic
(Origins & Blends)
5 lb bag: $47.95 - $49.95
12 oz bag: $8.75
Flavored Coffee
Fair Trade, Organic
(4 Flavored Options)
5 lb bag: $49.95
12 oz bag: $8.75
Suggested Retail for 12 oz bags
$11.95 - $12.95
According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, Americans drink 300 million cups of coffee a day, and 75 percent of that coffee is prepared and consumed at home.
By offering your customers the option to purchase fresh, whole bean coffee at your cafe/coffee shop, you are creating loyal customers who will continue to return for whole bean coffee, the sales of which could make up as much as 30 percent of your total coffee sales.
Grounds for Change provides kraft, poly-lined bags stamped with our logo to our wholesale customers interested in selling bulk whole bean coffee. Simply weigh out the appropriate amount of coffee, write the roast and weight on the bag and fold the tin tie down.
Some suggestions for implementing whole bean sales
Signage
Have signage visible at the register so that your customers know that they may purchase whole bean coffee.
Bean Counter
In order to significantly boost whole bean sales, consider a cafe/store layout that incorporates a bean counter that is separate from the beverage preparation area.
Up Close and Personal
Have the coffee out on a counter, in large glass jars with rubber seals. This allows your customers to see and, upon request, smell the different whole bean coffees available. You might even want to create a whole bean "self-serve" station where customers weigh out their own whole bean coffee.
Get the Word Out
Advertise whole bean sales in your local newspaper with a "10% off your first bag" coupon.
Featured Coffee
Feature one origin or blend per week at the register and sell it in brewed form along with your coffee of the day. Have the pre-packaged whole bean form of this coffee ready to go by the register for ease of sale. Don't hesitate to contact Grounds for Change staff if you have questions on a particular origin or blend. It is important that your staff be educated on the different origins, blends and the decaffeination process so that they can share this information with your customers. We have a number of educational and resource materials available, just give us a call at (800) 796-6820.
Tell your customers about Grounds for Change whole bean coffee. You'll be selling them the highest quality whole beans they can buy!
Wholesale orders may be placed by phone, fax or email.
Phone: (800) 796-6820
Fax: (360) 779-0402
Email: orders@groundsforchange.com
Grounds for Change roasts and ships the same day and we strive to ship your coffee within 24 hours of order placement. Once your order has been roasted and shipped, we will send you an email notification with tracking information to allow you track your shipment via the UPS website.
All orders shipped via UPS Ground. Time in transit will depend on distance from our facility in Washington State (see map below).
Free shipping on all orders over 30 pounds. Applies to customers that order more than 30 pounds of coffee every month. Excludes customers in Alaska and Hawaii.
Promoting your cafe within the community is critical to the success of your business, especially if you are new on the scene. There are a number of things that you can do to get the word out about your cafe to bring people in and establish yourself as a vital member of the business community.
Sponsor a Local Event or Fundraiser
This is great way to link up with organizations doing good things in your community. Non-profit organizations typically hold a fundraiser or two every year and by donating your space, or perhaps free cups of coffee for an event, your business is making these organizations and their supporters aware that you value the health and vitality of your local community. These supporters will patronize your business based on your willingness to support the community!
Press Releases
If you would like suggestions on getting some exposure locally, give us a call! We have a number of press release templates available and can work with you to get these out to media sources in your community. Spread the word and educate your community on fair trade, organic and shade grown issues and how they relate to the coffee you are serving.
Live Music/Art Openings/Open Mic Night
This is a great way to get advertising in your local newspaper and get people interested in your cafe. By being a venue for art and culture within your community, you bring customers in and keep them coming back for more!
In-Store Coffee Taste-Testing
Treat this like wine or beer tasting! Contact Grounds for Change for more information on how to hold a tasting. It's easy, fun and a great learning experience for everyone involved.
Cross Promotions
Ask retailers in your area if you can leave coupons (10% off the first bag of whole beans, buy one and get one free, etc) at their location in exchange for doing the same for them.
Origin of the Week
Educate your customers on the origins of your coffee. Grounds for Change has materials available and can help you put this information together. Hold a "Coffee Fact Contest" and at the end of the week, ask a question of your customers. The winner takes home a free bag of coffee.
Host a Weekly Conversation Cafe or Salon
Talk about community! Conversation cafes started in Europe and have really taken hold in the US over the course of the last few years. The discussion is open to anyone, topics are chosen by the group and everyone takes their turn expressing their opinions or ideas. Democracy plays itself out right in your cafe! And, as we all know, coffee is central to good conversation. For more information on conversation cafes, visit www.conversationcafe.org.
"Thanks for all of your help…you have made running a coffee shop so much easier. There are so many issues that come up all the time it is nice to know I can count on my roaster!"
Katie VandenBerg, Owner
Eli's, Morton, IL
"(We) really appreciate what you have done for us in getting our business started. Thanks for your service, your great product and your humanity."
Dave Nichols, Owner
BUZZ Coffee House & Café, Boise, ID
"Grounds for Change is a friendly company - interested in its customers and their businesses."
Tammi Nelsen, Owner
Serving Spoon, Menominee, MI
"Since its inception at the Lion's Den, Grounds for Change coffee has been getting rave reviews from all patrons - students, faculty, and administrators alike... Both product and customer service is of excellent grade, our sales have increased and LMU has formed yet another cohesive bond with a very respectable, self-sustaining and socially-conscious business."
Kristen Azevedo, Lion's Den Sales Manager
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA