Just Coffee Cooperative

Ownership

The original LLC re-organized as a worker cooperative in 2006. Just Coffee Co-op was established by Madison residents, demonstrating local Madison resident ownership through worker-owned cooperative structure.

Local Sourcing

They work with more than 15 grower cooperatives around the world, importing their beans mostly through their importing cooperative, Cooperative Coffees. While the coffee itself originates globally, most sourcing is international rather than local/regional.

Community Involvement

They take their coffee buyers to visit the farmers and they bring coffee growers to Madison in hopes of letting people see and build relationships. Just Coffee is listed as an affiliated member of Madison Workers' Cooperative Federation. Community engagement appears substantial but limited documentation of specific local sponsorships.

Local Workforce

Within their own cooperative, wage-scales have always remained below a ratio of 3-to-1. In 2017, they became B-Corp certified which requires regularly validating business practices in more than 200 areas including wages, benefits, governance, and environmental impact. Worker ownership and equitable wage practices demonstrate exceptional workforce quality.

Revenue Retention

They track how much of sales revenue passes through to the farmer (it is generally in the 30%-36% range). As a worker-owned cooperative with significant revenue flowing to farmer partners and worker wages, substantial revenue stays within equitable systems rather than extractive corporate ownership.

Local Presence

Despite the cooperative business model and mention of farmer partners, the website reads as a polished e-commerce platform with corporate features like newsletter signups, shipping to lower 48 states, and corporate gifting services. No owner/staff names, Madison-specific references, local supplier mentions, or personality-driven copy are present; instead, the language feels templated and transactional.