Why Sumato: Our Reason for Being
Frustrated by the lack of fresh coffee options at his workplace, Ben Martinez embarked on a mission to reimagine lackluster "office coffee." Highly concerned with transparency, freshness, and simplicity, Ben created Sumato Coffee Company, an online coffee subscription service.
Our coffee story unfolds like this: Sumato's Founder and CEO, Ben Martinez, spent 20 years climbing the corporate ladder and relocating around the country for some of the biggest companies in the world. Six different states and six companies later, three things remained constants in his life: his family and his love for coffee. Those who know Ben personally will tell you that he is the type who carries coffee books in his backpack and videos himself brewing coffee before sunrise. Ben shares his passion for coffee with everyone around him. Fast forward through the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making Sumato Coffee Co., Ben has dedicated his life to the cause, consulting with workers who serve Sumato coffee by night. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
Our Coffee Ethos
At Sumato Coffee Company, we are honored to serve our customers ethically sourced, freshly roasted, whole bean coffee. Our buying team travels the world to source new coffee beans and focuses on building relationships with both new and existing farmers. Our coffee features premium quality Arabica beans that are free of defects and offer unique flavors connected to their origins. We operate under Fair Trade practices and value the people in the coffee industry more than the profits we make.
We believe in respecting the integrity of the coffee bean and stand by our promise to deliver freshly roasted coffee. We are meticulous about the physical and sensory aspects of our coffee, personally evaluating and tasting each cup before it is shipped to you. Our coffee must be unique and high-quality, from bean to cup.
By staying true to our core values and focusing on making the freshest coffee in the marketplace, we have satisfied our customers and continue to grow our business.
What Our Coffee Means in Your Workplace
People are the foundation of why we started Sumato. We aim to satisfy your coffee needs by delivering our beans to where you do your life’s most meaningful work. Our goal is to reimagine coffee by creating an approachable service that is as simple as it is fresh.
The Importance and Science of Freshly Roasted Coffee
At Sumato, we believe coffee is best 2-14 days after being roasted and remains drinkable for 30 days after its roast date. Beyond this, it starts to become stale. We are incredibly concerned with the roast date on your bag of coffee because we want you to enjoy the best coffee possible.
As the coffee beans exit the roaster, they are at their freshest. However, they immediately begin to oxidize. The longer they sit, the more they oxidize and begin to lose flavor. Two to four weeks later, the beans will have lost most of their flavor and will be stale, which is what typically happens to most coffee found in your local grocery store. Often, pods or ground coffee are topped off with nitrogen to help prevent oxidation.