Free coffee shop resource
The Coffee Shop Owner's Roaster Scorecard
Choosing a roasting partner is about more than price per pound. Compare potential partners across coffee quality, consistency, reliability, service, capacity, customization and overall value.
Score each roaster from 1–5
1 — Poor / concerning
2 — Below expectations
3 — Acceptable
4 — Very good
5 — Excellent
Coffee & Quality
Question
Roaster A
Roaster B
Roaster C
Coffee quality in a blind tasting
Importance:
High
Consistency from roast to roast
Importance:
High
Quality and transparency of green coffee sourcing
Importance:
Medium
Ability to maintain flavor when crops or origins change
Importance:
Medium
Range of coffee, roast and decaf options
Importance:
Standard
Freshness and roast-to-delivery time
Importance:
Medium
Reliability & Capacity
Question
Roaster A
Roaster B
Roaster C
Experience level of the roasting team
Importance:
High
Years in business
Importance:
Standard
Roasting equipment, maintenance and production reliability
Importance:
Medium
Current weekly roasting volume
Importance:
Standard
Available weekly roasting capacity
Importance:
High
Staff depth and coverage
Importance:
Medium
Roasting schedule and backup plan for disruptions
Importance:
High
Service & Partnership
Question
Roaster A
Roaster B
Roaster C
Responsiveness and communication
Importance:
High
Current wholesale customer references and retention
Importance:
Medium
Barista training and espresso dial-in support
Importance:
Medium
Help troubleshooting coffee or extraction problems
Importance:
Medium
How mistakes, shortages or quality concerns are resolved
Importance:
High
Ordering & Delivery
Question
Roaster A
Roaster B
Roaster C
Ordering process is simple and predictable
Importance:
Medium
Standard production lead time
Importance:
High
Shipping or local delivery process and reliability
Importance:
High
Ability to accommodate emergency orders
Importance:
Medium
Order minimums are reasonable for our business
Importance:
Medium
Brand & Customization
Question
Roaster A
Roaster B
Roaster C
White-label or private-label options
Importance:
Medium
Does this roaster’s brand add value to your business?
Importance:
Medium
Custom blend development options
Importance:
Medium
Clear ownership and exclusivity of custom blends
Importance:
High
Packaging, labeling and custom-print capabilities
Importance:
Medium
Custom packaging minimums and setup requirements
Importance:
Standard
Business & Pricing
Question
Roaster A
Roaster B
Roaster C
Is this roaster local to your business?
Importance:
High
Pricing is competitive for the value provided
Importance:
High
Pricing structure and extra fees are transparent
Importance:
Medium
Price-change policy is clear and reasonable
Importance:
Medium
Payment terms, contracts and commitments are reasonable
Importance:
Standard
Relevant coffee certifications can be supported when needed
Importance:
Standard
Proper licensing, insurance and food-safety compliance
Importance:
High
Category score breakdown
Don't automatically choose the highest total. Investigate any score of 1 or 2 on a high-importance question—especially quality, consistency, reliability, food safety or communication.
Curious how Caffè Affine scores?
See how we answer the same questions we think every coffee shop should ask a potential roasting partner.
See our answers