When Rubicon Roasting first started, we were focused on generating local business and serving great coffee to our local community. We created a website and put a ‘shopping cart’ on it, mostly because that’s just what you’re supposed to do.
We spent our first year really concentrating on local business, but we did receive a few online orders. Some were from family members just trying out “brother’s coffee.” However, some orders were from people I didn’t know. These orders happened infrequently, but every time one came in, it’d get me really excited about the possibility of actually having sales on the web!
Those sales were from people who traveled through Paonia, tried the coffee and liked it, then went home and purchased. Exciting!!
Since then, I’ve been curious for a while about how a person makes the decision to purchase our coffee on our webpage. Trying to offer awesome products to the ‘world’ via the web is a very difficult thing to accomplish.
As the business grew during the first couple of years, I wanted to see what I could do to concentrate a bit more on offering our great coffee to people who didn’t live right here in the Paonia area.
After all, we want to share our quality beans with as many people as we can!
One of the steps I took towards connecting with all our customers outside of Paonia was to work with Paige from Fruition Studio in Carbondale – just over the hill from Paonia. She introduced me to the idea of connecting with our wonderful customers through a newsletter and blog.
Each month, I tell Fruition Studio what’s happening with Rubicon and what resources and topics we want to share with our readers, and they turn it into a beautiful newsletter and blog. (Subscribe here so you never miss it!)
I really love the way it works because it’s not ‘junk email’ – it’s something you asked to receive because you like Rubicon coffee AND our story.
When you share that with folks you know, we get to connect with more coffee lovers across the country – so please feel free to share with everyone you know!
We know you’re sharing our story because we’ve had more people purchase coffee online.
So far, our beans have traveled to California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. We’ve also taken a few short trips to Illinois, Virginia and New York – and we brought our coffee with us.
Where have you enjoyed our beans? Use #SippingRubicon on social media so we can see where you’re sipping our coffee!
There are lots of stories about how our story is shared. I’ve been so fortunate to have spoken with many of our customers to find out how they found us.
One customer in Texas has never been to Paonia. His daughter visited here and found Rubicon Roasting. She purchased a pound of coffee to give to her Dad when she returned home and he loved the coffee so much, he now buys every month. (Check out our coffee subscription!).
We received an order from New York City about a year and a half ago. I was so curious about how someone from that far away would choose us! The shipping address for that order was a restaurant in Manhattan called The Little Beet Table – I thought WOW – an awesome restaurant was curious enough about us to give it a try!
My little sister in California loves our Ethiopia Light Roast, so she brought some with her last winter to a California ski area, and some of her friends had a cup. They loved it too and immediately sent in an order. Thanks little sister, Mary!
A customer who lives in the central part of Nebraska recently purchased our coffee online. She and I talked on the phone, and she said they live in such a small town they have to purchase coffee online, since there’s barely a local grocery store there. Her sister traveled through Paonia and gave us a try and told her sister “you have to try this coffee”. She purchased a bag and loves it too. We’ve now supplied coffee for her for a couple of months.
There are many more stories about how it all happens. I’m so amazed about how it works – it keeps me smiling and striving to continue to roast the best coffee possible.
Thanks to all of YOU who continue to support us each month by sharing your thoughts with your friends about your coffee supplier and the excellent coffee you get from us here at Rubicon Roasting!
YOU directly support us and allow us to source and roast ethical and delicious coffee. Thank you!
It’s an honor to serve you (wherever you are!)
Where do you enjoy our coffee? We really love to know! Leave a comment below and let us know where you’re #SippingRubicon!
Good job!
Thanks very much Claudia!