On National Coffee Day, we’d like to shine a spotlight on Chicago-based coffee roaster Intelligentsia. Intelligentsia pioneered the Direct Trade purchasing model in which they source directly from coffee roasters and incentivize high-quality cups.

Doug Zell and Emily Manage first opened Intelligentsia Coffee’s doors on Broadway Avenue on Chicago’s North Side in October of 1995. Since then they have expanded from coast to coast, opening shops in LA and New York City.

They have earned several awards for their work and in 2016 were recognized on Thrillist’s list of best coffee roasters in the country.
Intelligentsia works with farmers and coffee producers in 20 countries to develop high quality beans.

They visit each farm at least once during their harvest and buy directly from the coffee farmer. They roast approximately three million pounds of coffee each year in Chicago and LA.

With so many delicious looking single-origin coffees and blends, it’s hard to decide which one to choose!

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To celebrate #NationalCoffeeDay, we’d like to shine a spotlight on Chicago-based coffee roaster @Intelligentsia who has been committed to providing high-quality cups since 1995. Read more about their business below, and leave a comment to let us know what your favorite coffee shop or roaster is in Illinois!