ABOUT BROWN PAPER COFFEE COMPANY
My passion for great coffee and pastries began with a Swedish mother who was an avid baker and loved a steaming cup of the fragrant brew. In 1997, that passion grew into a mail-order gourmet coffee, biscotti, loose tea, specialty hot cocoa, and accessories company called Brown Paper Coffee Company – or BPCC – for short. After four years in business, we had to let it go. Now, more than 20 years later, I am resurrecting that fabulous business. But I’m taking a different approach thanks to online shopping and access to artisanal bakers. WELCOME BACK!
A LITTLE HISTORY
The idea for Brown Paper Coffee Company (BPCC) was born on July 4th, 1997.
Jeff and I were leaving the fireworks display at Fort Vancouver, WA, with a carful of kids.
We didn’t have a name for it yet…but we had the first conversation. We dreamed of developing a network marketing business around an in-demand, consumable product. I have always been a passionate coffee lover, so mentioned that it would be awesome to build a business around that product. What if we could teach people how to brew a delicious cup of coffee, rivaling Starbucks quality, in their own kitchens, at a fraction of the price?
And that was the seed.
Jeff already had a successful software development business, but he vowed to fund the endeavor and promised to work with me on creating profitable compensation and marketing plans.
I began researching potential suppliers and ordering whole-bean samples. We spent many nights, up into the wee hours of the morning, tasting varietals, discovering our favorites and those we didn’t like as much.
We finally zeroed in on our preferred supplier. Then we decided to expand our line to include gourmet hot chocolate and loose-leaf teas. We even added chocolate-covered espresso beans and handcrafted biscotti from an Italian baker in Pittsburgh.
I sourced quality grinders and Bodum French presses to include in our consultant kits. Even designed and hand-applied labels for our loose-leaf teas…which came in brown paper fold-top bags. Then I cobbled together a website using my very basic HTML skills. Then I wrote the text for our print brochure and consultant manual. Jeff designed the logo with input from me. We applied for a merchant account and filed for a business license with the state. Then we got our Federal tax ID number.
I scheduled an appointment with a downtown Portland photographer and shopped for support materials for the food design photos. Jeff and I purchased new clothes, and I had my hair and nails freshly done. When everything was ready, we headed down for our photo session. Below are some of the pictures we took that day. I did all the layout and design for the food photos.
QUALITY PRODUCTS, TRUSTED PARTNERS
Back in 1998 it was a very costly experience starting that business. We had to purchase all our products in bulk. And stock shelves with expensive inventory. We also purchased those French Presses and coffee grinders. And since the internet was still so new, our business was based on face-to-face in-home sales parties. So, there was that additional expense of the photography and print brochures.
Things can be much simpler today! With the popularity and ease of online shopping and the ability to partner as an affiliate with quality manufacturers, I can promote a much wider selection of incredible products without the need to maintain my own inventory.
And that’s what I’ve done! In the days and months ahead, I will be recommending my own curated choices for the best coffees, teas, hot cocoas, and biscotti. I’m even tossing some great wines and dark chocolate into the mix!
NOT QUITE READY FOR PRIME TIME
I purchased the domain BROWNPAPERCOFFEECOMPANY.COM, but it’s still under construction. I’ll keep you posted about when the site is ready to go LIVE! But I wanted to give you a heads up because I’m really excited about relaunching this business…that was such a passion for me all those years ago.
Please let me know if there are any particular types of coffee, tea, hot cocoa, biscotti, wine, or chocolate you love, and I’ll do my best to find it for you!
In the meantime, CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING COFFEE WEIGHT-LOSS TIP
And if you enjoyed this post, then you’ll probably love this Kettle and Fire Bone Broth and Soup Review