PRICE INCREASED FOR PDX WHOLESALE TO PAY FOR ACE HOTEL PARTY THIS YEAR? Unusuals for this time of year?

I hope Colin Meloy was being ironic when he suggested in his tweet that it might be time to switch to Clive (another superb small Portland Roaster). In 2006 he was quoted in the Oregonian when his band signed with a major record label"
 "I think that a lot of what informed the decision to move to a major label was that we did have a foundation that we built ourselves that I don’t think a major label could have fucked with," says the group's mouthpiece and main vein Colin Meloy. "[Capitol] recognized that we had built something on our own that was working, and there was really no sense in changing it."
If he's being consistent; should we have stopped buying Decembrist's records when they signed with Capital?  Glad I didn't drop the band back then, their new LP signals a nice return to form. By the way, the cup of joe I picked up this morning at Stumptown's original shop  on SE Division tasted great as always. rich barrett, portland, or

I am decidedly pro-proliferation of delicious coffee, and if having some larger company take an equity stake allows them to achieve greater scale in delicious coffee, then more power to them. If the quality declines, then it is another story.
I believe that the secrecy has to do with the regrettable fact that a large percentage of the people who are in to good coffee really like the artisanal image (with those artisans having beards, flannel shirts, and liberal arts degrees). The reality is that businesses have to finance their expansions somehow. Is there something sacred about financing expansion to another city with retained earnings (or bank financing, or a really rich relative)? Do we just want boutique shops run by people with trust funds? No. Having a larger company take a stake can, in some cases, provide not only much needed capital at potentially more favorable terms, but also help with logistics and other such things. So long as the core of what the business "is" remains (in this case: really good coffee + fair trade, etc...) than this is a good thing. It's just too bad that much of the consumer base for such a delicious product would prefer to live outside of the fact based world.

A few points:

The time sensitive nature of roasted coffee would mean that the best way to maintain quality is an increased number of local roasters, instead of 3-4 big companies shipping the same stuff nationwide.  

Everyone says "I don't care as long as the quality is the same" on these comments, but I doubt most could even differentiate.  Saying I want it cheaper but the same quality is a terrible terrible idea for anyone smaller than the big guys.  Big roasters buy more coffee and get it cheaper, local roasters who are just as good will pay more for the same quality because they buy less of it.  

Fair trade is also not a wonder pill, it can really help but people seem to fail to remember that it's situation-based.  FT and Organic certs can really burden farmers.

I think it's fine if they took financing to expand, but the comments in reaction worry me more than what people are moaning about.  

Whatever happens, the power of capitalism eventually eats almost every company...becoming an l3c or cooperative are 2 of the few options available to avoid being swallowed by a large corporate player.

Uh, guys? The Esquire article was written by a competitor. A competitor who is not a lawyer, or, it seems, very astute at reading corporate filings. It's a non-controlling interest. I don't know about you but... if I were a roaster, or a winemaker, or the inventor of the latest soda trend, I would want an investment by a company that understands chain-of-distribution so that I could stop spending time on supply contracts and more time doing quality control on my wine/coffee/soda. It's just good business.

Sounds suspect to me. Glaceau already owns a coffee brand, Caribou. They don't push it much in the US, but it doesn't fit in with their business model to buy a really high end name like Stumptown and have two coffee brands.

Caribou is quite good if I remember correctly. I wish they were around here.

Stumptown is so 2009. Coffee Labs is the new crack.

Wait, they are in the freaking ACE Hotel... They do things like this to make money and sell a brand. That place is SOOO commercial how can this come as a shock! They sell $20 socks that say ACE on them!!! REALLY!?!?!

If you don't want to get branded as selling out get a small shop in the village and do what you do best, MAKE COFFEE! Think MUD, yes I know, they have a truck but it is still $1 for a coffee and a GREAT coffee at that! When was the last time you got a coffee at $tumptown for less then $3/4? Yes, it is GREAT coffee too but at what cost does it not count as selling-out?

(full disclosure, I still get coffee at Stumptown when I am in the area. It is great but I still get pissed when I realize how much it costs!)

Ozzies or nothing...

It's all about D'Amico's Gowanus Roast.

$$$$$$$$$

A business man goes into business to make money.  Big shocker.

Todd's such a douche-bag. THe photos of Sean Penn hauling his coffee beans makes me want to puke.

i <3 Yu Madly.  That is all.  0>:>)=

When did 29th and Broadway become the Meatpacking District?

The same day W100th and Broadway became the "Upper West Side."

huh??? I've been living on 101st and west end for 36 years. it's always been the upper west side. you have no idea what you're talking about. go back to your square state.

Unless you're from the Commonwealth, using the word "cuppa" in a sentence is rightly punishable by death.