ABOUT US
1930s
Alfred Peet learns the coffee trade while caring for roasting and grinding machinery at B. Koorn & Company, his father’s coffee and tea business in Alkmaar, Holland.
He forgoes college, moves to London to pursue the importing of coffee and tea, and continues to make things with his hands and fiddle with machines.
1950s
He works in the tea business in Indonesia—a pivotal experience that eventually inspires him to bring darkly roasted Indonesian beans to an unaware coffee-drinking public.
He temporarily resides in New Zealand. TL;DR he declares it boring and sails to the U.S.
When he arrives in California, he goes to work in the coffee import business but soon discovers that the richest country in the world drinks the lousiest coffee (we’re talking mass-produced, vacuum-sealed cans—not great).
1966
He leaves the coffee import business to start his own shop in Berkeley at Vine and Walnut, a working-class neighborhood near the University of California campus.
He vows to only use high-quality beans, and a roasting system manually calibrated to achieve an even darker, sweeter roast. Alfred Peet proudly sends a batch to his mother, who politely suggests it’s “too dark.” Thankfully, he ignores her.
...
2023
Peet’s launches “The Bright Collection” featuring a wildly new roasting style for us. Now coffees with vibrant, fruit-forward flavors join those in our much-loved roasty toasty roast profile.
2024
Ultra Coffee Concentrate changes the game for those who want barista-quality coffee at home, on the go, or in a hurry. With only one tablespoon, anyone can make a Peet’s level drink at home or anywhere.
Peet's Coffee
