Where Do Coffee Shops Buy Their Coffee? A Small Cafe's Guide to Buying Beans
Most coffee shops buy from a roaster's wholesale program, which usually means an application, a login to see prices and a minimum order, or from a foodservice distributor that delivers coffee with the rest of their supplies. A few roast their own. A simpler route is a roaster that sells online with no account and no minimum, like Der Hoffskeller: order today, serve when the box arrives.
We are a family roaster in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and we roast one coffee in cast iron on our family farm, in a barn that has been in the family since 1944. Here is how each buying route works for cafes, bakeries, coffee carts and food trucks, and where we fit.
How coffee shops usually buy their coffee
A roaster's wholesale account
You fill out an application or inquiry form, wait to hear back, then log in to a portal to see prices and order. Of the roaster pages we looked at in October 2026, most kept prices behind a form or a login. A few had no minimum; the others asked for anything from one 5 lb bag per order to 40 lb a month. Many bundle barista training, equipment service, samples and net terms. Bellwether, a company that sells coffee roasting equipment, puts what most cafes pay at about $10 to $14 a pound.
A foodservice distributor
Distributors and restaurant supply sites sell coffee alongside cups, lids and syrups, often in pre-portioned packs for a batch brewer, such as a 2 ounce pack made to brew a 64 ounce pot. The appeal is one order and one delivery for everything. The trade-off is that the coffee is often a national brand's blend, the same one plenty of other places pour.
Marketplaces and roasting your own
Online trade marketplaces carry many small brands, but you need a retailer account first. Roasting your own gives you full control and costs you a roaster, a supply of green coffee and hours every week.
What to ask any coffee supplier
Whichever route you take, ask these before you commit. Here are our answers.
| Question | Der Hoffskeller |
|---|---|
| Do I need an account, application or approval? | No. Order online as a guest. |
| Is there a minimum? | No. Order one bag. Online orders go up to 60 items. |
| Can I see prices first? | Yes. Every price is public and the same for everyone. |
| How fresh is it? | Roasted in small batches and shipped close to its roast date. |
| Net terms or invoices? | No. You pay at checkout by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. |
| Can I resell it? | Yes. Sealed bags on your shelf, no permission needed. |
The no-account option: how ordering from us works
Any business can buy, serve and resell Der Hoffskeller coffee with no account, application, approval or minimum.
- Pick your size and grind. Choose whole bean or ground, then One-time order or a weekly, every 2 weeks or monthly delivery.
- Check out as a guest with your email and shipping address. There is no company name field, so type your business name with your name or on the Apt, suite line. Pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe.
- Start serving when the box arrives. Your confirmation email lists what you ordered and the total.
Online orders are limited to 60 items. For more, use our contact page or call 414-375-5804. Questions are welcome there, but you never need to ask before you order.
Sizes and prices for a shop
| Size | One-time | Per lb | Subscription | Estimated 8 oz cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Hoff Bag, 2 lb | $34 | $17.00 | $30 ($15.00/lb) | About 70 |
| Queen Hoff, 3.5 lb | $60 | $17.14 | $52 ($14.86/lb) | About 120 |
| King Hoff, 7 lb | $105 | $15.00 | $95 ($13.57/lb) | About 245 |
| Bulk, 20 lb | $250 | $12.50 | $230 ($11.50/lb) | About 700 |
Cup counts are estimates at standard strength: about 35 eight-ounce cups per pound, the Specialty Coffee Association's Golden Cup ratio of 55 grams of coffee per liter of water. At diner strength a pound stretches to about 64 cups. Every bag size comes whole bean or ground at the same price, for example Bulk ground.
Bulk is the discount
The 20 lb Bulk bag is our lowest price per pound, and the subscription price is lower on every bag size. In one order, each extra Big Hoff Bag of the same grind and order type comes $4 off, and each extra Queen or King $10 off; Bulk has none. There is no retailer price, no special business tier, no coupon and no net terms. At standard strength, Bulk on a subscription comes to about 33 cents of coffee per eight-ounce cup ($11.50 divided by 35), or about 18 cents at diner strength. See every size on our page for 20 lb bulk bags and business orders.
Shipping and regular deliveries
We ship by USPS to US addresses, free on orders of $50 or more, so every Queen, King and Bulk order ships free. Orders typically go out within a few business days; times are estimates, not guarantees. Subscriptions run weekly, every 2 weeks or monthly with a two-delivery minimum, and you manage deliveries online through a secure emailed link: skip, pause, move a date earlier or change sizes. Checkout has no pickup option, but the barn at 1040 Sherman Rd in Cedarburg is open to visit every day from 9 to 5.
Selling our bags on your shelf
Want sealed bags by the register? Go ahead. Reselling our sealed bags needs no permission and no agreement, and you buy them at the same public prices anyone pays. Bulk is the discount. Main Street Market and The Purple Turtle already carry our coffee; see our store list.
Who pours it today
LemonZello, a cafe on our cafes page, serves our coffee. We pour it ourselves every day from the self-serve urn in our barn, and we have attended more than 250 farmers markets. It is one roast, 100% Colombian Supremo Arabica in the medium-dark German Norwegian style, with the same finish every time; read what cast iron roasted coffee is. Customers describe it as smooth and low in acid, and for regulars who take it black, see coffee you can drink black. One visitor to the barn put it this way:
“Free bottomless cups of self-serve, deliciously smooth coffee in a cozy converted barn.”
Sory M, Google, February 2026
Bakeries, coffee carts and food trucks
A bakery or bagel shop usually needs one good house coffee from a batch brewer, not a menu of single origins. A Queen Hoff or King Hoff on a weekly or every 2 weeks schedule keeps a small counter stocked.
On a cart or truck, space is tight and there may be no grinder on board. Our ground coffee comes in one medium-fine grind that works for every brew method, from batch brewers and pour-over to French press, cold brew and espresso, so one bag covers the menu. If you grind on board, order whole bean; see whole bean vs. ground coffee. The box can ship to your commissary kitchen or your home. One customer wrote on X:
“The grind is perfect for pour over coffee makers.”
PD, X, September 2026
When a full-service roaster is the better fit
Choose a full-service roaster if you need espresso equipment installed and serviced, barista training, net terms, private label bags, decaf, or several roasts and origins. We sell one coffee by the bag, with no decaf and no flavors.
Coffee Shop Buying Questions
Do I need an account or approval to buy coffee for my cafe?
No. Any business can buy, serve and resell our coffee without an account, application, approval or permission. Check out as a guest and type your business name with your name or on the Apt, suite line.
Is there a minimum order?
No. Order a single bag if you like. Online orders are limited to 60 items; for more, use the contact page or call 414-375-5804.
Is there a wholesale or retailer price?
No. Bulk is the discount. The 20 lb Bulk bag is the lowest price per pound ($12.50 one-time, $11.50 on a subscription), and extra Big Hoff Bags ($4 off each) and extra Queens or Kings ($10 off each) of the same grind and order type in one order are discounted automatically.
How much coffee does a cafe go through in a week?
Count cups, not seats. As an estimate, a pound makes about 35 eight-ounce cups at standard strength, so a shop pouring 100 cups a day uses about 3 pounds a day, or about 20 pounds a week if it is open seven days: one Bulk bag weekly. Our own planning rule is about one pound for every forty to fifty six-ounce cups.
Whole bean or ground?
Either, at the same price per bag. Ground comes in one medium-fine grind that works for every brew method, espresso included. Choose whole bean if you grind in house.
Do I need a tax ID or resale certificate to order?
No. Checkout asks for your email, your name, a shipping address and payment, and nothing else is required.
Can I try it first?
Yes. The Little Hoff is a half pound for $15. You can also visit the barn in Cedarburg, open every day from 9 to 5.
Order for your shop today
A sensible first order is a King Hoff or a 20 lb Bulk bag as a one-time order, whole bean or ground. Count how fast it goes, then put it on a schedule. Every size and link is on our page to order coffee for your cafe with no account. Prost.