Bello Coffee and Tea
For nearly two decades, Bello Coffee & Tea has been a staple in the San Francisco coffee scene. Founded by Justin’s parents in the early 2000s, the business has grown from a small café into a thriving hub for coffee lovers. Over the years, they experimented with various roasting methods—from air roasting to drum roasting—before discovering Bellwether, a game-changing innovation that has transformed their approach to coffee. Today, their commitment to freshness, sustainability, and quality remains at the heart of everything they do.
“We Roast Our Coffee Fresh In-House Every Day”—Freshness & Quality in Every Cup
Roasting in-house has given Bello Coffee & Tea complete control over their coffee’s quality. In the past, they relied on toll roasters, which meant they had little say over the freshness and roast profiles of their coffee. Today, they can fine-tune every batch to meet their exacting standards, ensuring that every cup served is of the highest quality. This level of precision has allowed them to develop a loyal customer base that appreciates the difference fresh roasting makes.
Walking into the cafe, the first thing customers notice isn’t just the aroma of freshly roasted coffee—it’s the roaster itself, standing front and center. “Before, we had the drum roaster in the back, so nobody could actually see the roasting process. Now, the first thing you see is the roaster,” says Justin. “Plenty of customers come up to us asking ‘What is that?’ and we tell them it’s our roaster, and that we roast our coffee fresh, and they love that!” The aroma of freshly roasted coffee creates an immersive experience that strengthens customer engagement and trust in the brand. “We roast our coffee fresh in-house every day, and now that people can actually see it makes a huge difference–and people can smell it as well, and they love the smell!” Now, customers know they are getting the freshest possible coffee, which has set Bello Coffee & Tea apart from competitors.
Bello Coffee has always been committed to quality, but transitioning to the Bellwether roaster brought newfound consistency and efficiency. “It’s hard to get consistent results with other roasting methods,” Justin explains. “With Bellwether, you put the beans in, press a button, and it comes out with a bunch of perfectly roasted coffee without much monitoring at all. It’s way more efficient!” Consistency is very important to Bello Coffee and Consistency is especially important when it comes to their espresso beans, which must deliver the same rich and balanced taste every time. “People come to expect a certain taste to our coffee,” Justin notes. “So it's a lot easier to achieve that consistency with Bellwether’s automation.” Customers appreciate the difference—not only in the rich, nuanced flavors of their favorite brews but also in knowing their coffee is as fresh as it gets.
“It Increased Our Margins”—The Economic Advantage of Roasting In-House
Switching to in-house roasting was both a quality-driven and financial decision. “We used to pay $9 a pound to get our coffee roasted elsewhere,” Justin explained. “Now, it's $5 or $6 per pound for green coffee, and there's not a lot of work to roast it.” By eliminating the middleman, Bello Coffee & Tea has significantly improved its profit margins. “The reason we switched was both about control and pricing,” Justin emphasizes. “Not only does it improve freshness and quality, but it also increases margins as well. It was the right decision to make.” Bellwether’s technology has streamlined this transition, enabling more coffee shops to take charge of their roasting process and enhance their profitability. As Justin put it, "Now with the Shop Roaster it's even easier for more coffee shops to get into roasting their own coffee."
This cost savings translates directly into reinvestments in their business, from equipment upgrades to expanding their product line and introducing in-house gelato to complement their beverage and food offerings. “The automation of the roaster, especially with the autoloader helps us a lot to be able to focus on other areas,” Justin notes. “We wouldn't have been able to offer homemade gelato, for example, if we didn't have an efficient roasting process.” With the increased profitability, they are looking at future expansions, including opening additional locations, unlocking new revenue streams such as e-commerce, and further refining their coffee offerings to cater to their growing customer base.
“Bellwether Has Eliminated So Many Challenges”—Simplicity, Safety & Cutting-Edge Technology
Bello’s journey with Bellwether started when Justin and his team first spotted the ventless, electric roaster at a coffee expo. “We saw it, and we were like, ‘Whoa, that’s cool,’” he recalls. “We had experience with air and drum roasters, and even one big electric roaster, that we used years ago in a second shop; but it was nothing like how advanced it is today! It’s very nice to experience the new technology.” The risk, along with the steep learning curve of traditional roasting, made the transition to Bellwether an easy choice. “Bellwether has eliminated so many challenges. A lapse in attention to our drum roaster almost led to a fire.” Justin remarks. Bellwether’s electric, ventless design eliminates many of the safety concerns associated with gas-powered roasters, allowing Bello Coffee & Tea to focus on delivering high-quality coffee without the stress of potential hazards.
The transition to Bellwether was seamless. “With traditional roasters, adjusting recipes isn’t easy. With Bellwether, I can create and adjust roast profiles right from my phone. I like the user interface and the user-friendliness of the software. This automation means we don’t have to monitor every roast manually—it just works.” They started with the first version of the Bellwether and have now upgraded to the Shop Roaster with Continuous Roasting, which has made their process even more efficient. “It’s very nice! I like the new autoloader feature. It made it a lot easier to roast continuously without having to refill the beans each time, so less intervention is required.”
The new autoloader feature has made continuous roasting effortless, further reducing the labor required and increasing accessibility. “My dad and I currently do most of the roasting, but I can trust any employee to take over that role at any time. All they have to do is load the coffee, select the profile, and push a button,” Justin said. The ease of use has been a game-changer for their business operations. “At 6:30 AM, I press a button, and by noon, all my coffee roasted for the day is roasted. It’s great!” Justin explained. This automation has freed up time for the team to focus on other aspects of the business, such as customer service and product development.
“The Marketplace Makes It Easier to Source Green Beans”—Sustainability at the Core
For Bello Coffee & Tea, sustainability isn’t an afterthought—it’s part of their ethos. “Seeing that it’s ventless and electric were very big selling points for us,” Justin says. “Our old gas-powered roasting method had high ventilation requirements and used a lot of gas. Also, we almost had a fire at one point. That’s not a problem anymore—Bellwether eliminated these key challenges.” The shift to Bellwether’s electric roaster has significantly reduced their energy consumption and carbon footprint. “We appreciate that Bellwether is electric. Just doing anything to reduce our footprint is a good thing.” The reduction in emissions aligns with their commitment to environmental sustainability, making their operations more eco-friendly without compromising quality.
While customers might not think about carbon footprints while enjoying their latte, they do notice the difference in the air. “It’s not an offensive, smoky smell like something’s burning—it’s just a rich, delicious aroma,” Justin says when describing the coffee roasting smell in their cafe. Beyond that, Bello Coffee also takes sustainability a step further by repurposing their used coffee grounds for gardening. "People come in, grab a bag of coffee grounds, and use it as compost," Justin shared, highlighting their commitment to waste reduction and eco-friendly practices. "That's something we love doing, and a lot of people come in for that."
Beyond reducing emissions and waste, Bello Coffee & Tea is also committed to ethical sourcing. Bellwether’s commitment to farmer equity through Living Income Pricing ensures that coffee producers are fairly compensated. “Seeing where we get our green beans is a big part of it,” Justin said. “Being able to roast our own coffee means we can pick and choose the best sources, and know where they come from instead of getting them through a wholesaler. Also, the marketplace makes it a lot easier to source those green beans, and it's pretty competitive compared to other sources.” By using Bellwether’s Green Coffee Marketplace, they can access high-quality, ethically sourced beans while ensuring their business practices align with their values.
Roasting Freshness, Building a Legacy
In their two decades in business, Bello Coffee & Tea’s journey has always been about evolution—adapting, improving, and delivering exceptional coffee. From the early days of trial and error to the streamlined efficiency of Bellwether, their story is one of passion meeting innovation. By embracing electric, in-house roasting, they have not only improved their operations but also enhanced their brand’s reputation for quality, sustainability, and transparency.
As Justin puts it, “I think it’s also a source of pride for us, like ‘this is ours’. I believe as a coffee shop you should get your own beans and roast them yourselves to bring it to the next level.” With solutions like Bellwether, coffee businesses can achieve greater control, efficiency, and sustainability—all while delighting customers with fresh, high-quality coffee. Are you ready to take your coffee to the next level? Join the sustainable microroastery movement with Bellwether.
