Royal
Cup Coffee & Tea turns 125 years old
October 7 - 2021Coffee Geography Magazine
The Alabama based coffee company Royal Cup, Inc. celebrates its 125 years in
business. Headquartered in Birmingham, the company produces and distributes
coffee and tea to restaurants, hotels, resorts, offices, and convenience stores
across the county.
Founded
in 1896 as the Batterton Coffee Company, the coffee was said to be fit for
royalty so when the organization was purchased by the
Smith Family in 1950, it was aptly renamed Royal Cup Coffee. Built on a
foundation of quality, consistency, and customer service; Royal Cup grew
rapidly from an Alabama coffee and tea supplier in the southeast to ultimately
a nationwide distributor of its products.
"Quality
was just as important then, as it is now. It is part of everything we do and if
we ever lose sight of that, we will lose sight of our competitive
advantage," shares owner and Chairman of the Board, Bill Smith, Jr.
"We focused on determining the best way for all consumers to enjoy a
consistent quality cup of coffee from their favorite restaurant no matter where
they were across the country."
Royal
Cup provides customers with more than simply high-quality coffee and tea. The
industry leader skillfully sources coffee and tea from well-known origins
around the world. Their world-class roasting and manufacturing facility has the
capacity to produce more than 80 million pounds of coffee annually. Royal Cup
is also known to provide loaned beverage equipment, customer service, administrative
and marketing support as well as route, parcel and broadline distribution from
their Birmingham headquarters. Currently operating nearly 70 distribution
centers across the country, the organization also offers field-based sales
support and equipment maintenance which reaffirms Royal Cup is truly a
nationwide, full-service solution for customers.
"Celebrating
such an elite milestone anniversary is testament to all Royal Cup team members,
both past and present," shared President and Chief Executive Officer, Chip
Wann. "Our company values are rooted in five key areas: quality, service,
people, integrity, and value. These values are the housed at the core of what
we do, which have helped our organization thrive, and they will continue to carry
us through our next 125 years."
To
share in their 125th Anniversary, Royal Cup will release a limited edition 12oz
Rainforest Alliance™ certified coffee sold exclusively on Amazon later this
month and will celebrate with customers, friends, and followers across social
media throughout October.