How do I find a coffee roasting business for sale in Canada?

A roastery is a different business from a café. A café sells cups to people who walk in. A roastery often sells beans to other businesses and to customers online. If you are looking for one to buy, it helps to know that early, because the search words, the sellers and the questions all differ from a café purchase.

Names to search under

Owners list as a coffee roastery, coffee roaster, micro-roaster, specialty roaster or coffee wholesaler. Some use a brand name only. Add your region, and try searches with and without it, since some sellers want buyers from farther away. The general method is in how to find a business to buy.

Where roasteries surface

Check business-for-sale sites, including Deavo, and ask brokers who work in food and beverage. Green coffee importers and roaster equipment dealers talk to roasters often, and may hear when one is ready to sell or upgrade. Industry events and trade groups are another place to meet owners. Be ready to sign a confidentiality agreement before an owner shares details.

Wholesale roastery or café that roasts

Ask whether most sales come from wholesale accounts, from a retail counter, or from online and subscription orders. A café that roasts on site depends on its location and foot traffic. A wholesale-led roastery depends on its accounts and its delivery routes. Each needs a different kind of owner, so pick the one that suits your skills.

First questions to ask

• How do sales split between wholesale, retail and online?
• Do the roasting profiles come with the sale, and will the roaster train you?
• Do the relationships with green coffee suppliers carry over?
• Which accounts are under contract?