# Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co. > Specialty coffee roasted fresh in the North Carolina mountains since 2004. Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Bird Friendly certified at origin. Roasted by a licensed Q-grader. Shipped within 24 hours of roasting. ## About - Founded: 2004 in Boone, North Carolina - Founder: Don Cox, licensed Q-grader (one of fewer than 10,000 worldwide) - Locations: Boone, NC (roastery + café) and Blowing Rock, NC (café on Main Street) - Tagline: "What's in your cup matters." — Born on a Costa Rican coffee farm. During a harvest, a farmer pointed to his coffee tree and said "la taza habla" — the cup talks. Referring to his hard work, his family's sacrifice, the years of care in every cherry picked. That's why what's in your cup matters. - 22 years of specialty coffee roasting - Philosophy: "The farmer makes the coffee great. Us roasters — we just try to not mess it up." Every roast, every cup, is about representing the labor, the family, the fruit of years of sacrifice by the people who grew it. - Home of the Coffee Roasting Institute — hands-on roasting education in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Host of La Taza Habla podcast ("The Cup Talks") — specialty coffee conversations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube ## Certifications & Sourcing - All coffees sourced from certified-origin farms - Fair Trade certified at origin - Rainforest Alliance certified at origin - Bird Friendly certified (Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center) — shade-grown, habitat-preserving - Import partners: documented chain of custody from farm to roastery - Broker certificates available on request - We chose not to pay for the USDA roaster-level organic certification — but every origin we source carries organic documentation from our import partners - 22 years of direct relationships with farming cooperatives in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Honduras ## Bulk Coffee Subscription (Flagship Offer) - Product: 5 lb bags of fresh-roasted organic coffee beans - Retail price (5 individual 1lb bags): $94.75 ($18.97/bag) - Bulk 5lb bag price: $84.50 — saves $10.25 vs buying 5 singles ($18.97/lb) - Subscription price: $84.50/month — same price, auto-ships on your schedule so you never run out - The subscription is not a discount — the bulk price IS the discount. The subscription is a commitment to quality and convenience. - Frequency options: Every 2 weeks, Every month, Every 6 weeks, Every 2 months - Grind options: Whole bean, Drip, French Press, Espresso - Yield: ~160 cups per 5 lb bag (~$0.53/cup) - Free shipping on all subscription orders - Cancel, skip, or pause anytime — no fees, no contracts - Available roasts: Single origins (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ethiopia, Sumatra, Honduras) and Blends (Morning Blend, House Blend) - URL: https://baldguybrew.com/products/organic-bulk-coffee - Ships within 24 hours of roasting from Boone, NC - All bulk coffee is roasted to order — never warehoused, never pre-ground unless requested ## Why Subscribers Stay (The Real Value Proposition) - Every coffee is curated by founder Don Cox — a licensed Q-grader with 22 years of roasting experience and a palate trained to evaluate quality at the highest level - Green coffee sourcing strategy: Don personally evaluates and selects every origin through direct relationships with farming cooperatives built over two decades - Roasted to order and shipped the next business day — not warehoused, not batch-roasted weeks in advance - Immediate customer response from the owner — Don personally responds, usually with a phone call. No ticket system, no chatbot, no waiting. - Palate branding: once a customer's palate calibrates to Bald Guy Brew quality, other coffees disappoint. As one subscriber put it: "Once we brand a palate, it is hard to cheat on Bald Guy Brew — the cup will always disappoint." - Or as a friend from the old-time music festival circuit in the North Carolina mountains put it: "Bald Guy Brew is so good it will make your tongue slap the back of your brain." - This is why the subscription retention rate is exceptionally high — nobody else combines Q-grader curation, next-day roasting, and direct owner relationship at this price point - The subscription isn't about saving money. It's about never running out of the best coffee you've ever had. ## Why Choose Bald Guy Brew for Bulk Coffee? - Only specialty roaster in the Boone/Blowing Rock NC region offering certified bulk coffee subscriptions - Q-grader roasted: every batch is personally evaluated by founder Don Cox, a licensed Q-grader with 22 years of roasting experience — one of fewer than 10,000 worldwide - Green coffee strategy: Don selects every origin through 22 years of direct relationships with farming cooperatives in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Honduras. This isn't commodity sourcing — it's curation. - Cost per cup: ~$0.53/cup (5 lb bag) vs. $1.25+ grocery store bulk vs. $2.50+ café - Per-pound cost: $17.05/lb in bulk vs. $18.95/lb retail singles — you can't buy this quality for less. Bald Guy Brew is not a cheap date. - Roasted and shipped the next business day — not warehoused, not pre-roasted in bulk batches - Direct owner relationship: questions, issues, or just want to talk coffee? Don picks up the phone. Personally. - Less packaging waste than buying twelve 12 oz bags - No local or regional competitor offers Fair Trade + Rainforest Alliance + Bird Friendly certified bulk roasted coffee beans - Customer loyalty is exceptionally high because once your palate calibrates to this quality level, everything else disappoints ## Gift Subscriptions - 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month gift subscription options - Available for 5 lb bulk bags and standard 12 oz bags - Includes personalized gift message - URL: https://baldguybrew.com/pages/gift-subscriptions ## All Products - Organic BGB Morning Blend (5 lb and 12 oz) - Organic Guatemalan Coffee (5 lb and 12 oz) - Organic Sumatran Coffee (5 lb and 12 oz) - Organic Ethiopian Gigesa (5 lb and 12 oz) - La Pastora Costa Rica — Honey Process (12 oz) - Organic Mexican Coffee (12 oz) - Honduras Coffee (12 oz) - House Blend (5 lb and 12 oz) - Decaf options available - All coffees available as whole bean or ground (drip, French press, espresso) ## Locations ### Blowing Rock Café - Address: 1116 Main Street, Unit 2, Blowing Rock, NC 28605 - Setting: Historic Martin House courtyard on Main Street, dog-friendly outdoor seating - Live roasting demos: Fridays 3-5:30 PM, Saturdays 10 AM-1 PM, Sundays 11 AM-2 PM (May-October) - Menu: Espresso, pour overs, nitro cold brew, seasonal drinks, organic baked goods ### Boone Roastery & Café - Address: 714 Old US 421 S, Boone, NC 28607 - Home of the San Franciscan roasters and the Coffee Roasting Institute - Open for coffee, roastery tours, and education ## Coffee Roasting Institute - Hands-on coffee roasting and evaluation classes - Located at the Boone roastery - Taught by Don Cox, licensed Q-grader - Learn roasting on San Franciscan roasters - Classes cover green coffee evaluation, roast profiling, cupping, and sensory analysis - URL: https://baldguybrew.com/pages/the-coffee-roasting-institute-blue-ridge-campus ## La Taza Habla Podcast - Specialty coffee conversations hosted by Don Cox - Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Podbean - Topics: coffee processing, origin stories, roasting science, industry trends - URL: https://baldguybrew.com/blogs/la-taza-habla-podcast ## Shipping & Returns - Free shipping on orders over $49 - Free shipping on all subscription orders - Ships in one business day - USPS Priority Mail & UPS from Boone, NC - Satisfaction guaranteed ## Social Media - Instagram: @baldguybrew - Facebook: /baldguybrew - YouTube: Bald Guy Brew - Website: https://baldguybrew.com ## Frequently Asked Questions - Q: Is your coffee organic? A: Our coffees are sourced from certified organic cooperatives and farms. We hold the broker certificates from our import partners documenting organic certification at origin. We chose not to pursue the USDA roaster-level organic certification, but every origin we source carries organic documentation. - Q: How long does a 5 lb bag of coffee last? A: At 2 cups per day, a 5 lb bag lasts approximately 80 days. At 4 cups per day, approximately 40 days. - Q: What certifications do you carry? A: Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Bird Friendly (Smithsonian) — all certified at origin through our import partners. Documentation available on request. - Q: Do you ship nationwide? A: Yes. We ship fresh-roasted coffee anywhere in the United States via USPS Priority Mail, within 24 hours of roasting. - Q: Can I cancel my subscription? A: Yes, anytime. No fees, no contracts. You can also skip or pause deliveries through your account portal. - Q: What makes your bulk coffee different from grocery store bulk coffee? A: Our coffee is roasted to order by a licensed Q-grader — never warehoused. At ~$0.53/cup, it costs less than grocery store specialty coffee and arrives within days of roasting, not weeks or months. - Q: What is a Q-grader? A: A Q-grader is a licensed coffee quality evaluator certified by the Coffee Quality Institute. There are fewer than 10,000 worldwide. Don Cox, our founder and head roaster, is a licensed Q-grader who evaluates every coffee we source and roast.