Yesterday we released the first edition of Operator Notes, a new weekly newsletter written by coffee operators, consultants, creators, and practitioners who spot trends and share insight on what to do about them.
Each week, an expert working in the industry spotlight a learning, a takeaway, or trend they care about to help other operators in coffee learn and grow faster.
This week’s edition is written by Garrett Oden, publisher at Fresh Cup.
✉️ Operator Notes: practical advice from people working in coffee.
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Whose brand goes on the coffee bag label?
Coffee shops increasingly want coffee packaging with their own brand on the bag. This is a trend we’ve heard roasters discuss for years, and we’ve seen it emerge in our RoasterLink data. 41% of coffee businesses who signed up to get matched with roasters in 2026 so far say they are looking for ‘Private / white labeling services’ from their roasting partner. In 2025, the number was 36%.
We see many of these buyers work with roasters who don’t offer private labeling because pricing or the roaster relationship is prioritized, but the trend is clear: a growing share of new business owners want their brand on the label.
It’s not hard to see why: competition among coffee shops has become increasingly fierce, and a new wave of mobile coffee businesses, RTD drinks, and DIY concentrates have given customers an incredible range of choice about how and where they get their coffee.
New shops are looking at every avenue they can to distinguish themselves from the competition and become more memorable. Private labeling is one of the more accessible ways to buy that brand equity, whether that means your name on a bag of white labeled coffee or a fully custom blend built with your roaster.
That said, there are disadvantages to private labeling worth being aware of. Working with respected roasters can enhance the customer perception of quality for new cafes. As Russ Prefontaine, President of Fratello Coffee Roasters, pointed out in our emerging trends of 2025 story, “showcasing well-known brands instead of private labels can additionally justify shelf prices by highlighting the craftsmanship, ethical sourcing, and expertise behind the product.”
If you’re going to private label, do it strategically.
Roasters win when their clients look good on the shelf, and shops win when they stop looking like everyone else’s and sell more bags. Here’s where each side has a move to make.
Roasters: private labeling can be a differentiator. Success as a wholesale roaster has always been about listening to the needs of customers and finding ways to empower them, especially for passionate businesses like coffee businesses. Offering private labeling (and not being precious about your brand on the bag) can be a big signal that you want to support your partner according to their goals.
Roasters: don’t make it a big lift to start. There are many suppliers who can provide small runs of custom bags. We once reported that Red Rooster Coffee ran 150-500 bags at a time to help win new customers who wanted to start small. Tools like Roastar’s Design Lab make it easy to create custom designs for short runs.
Roasters: standardize the pricing model. I have seen roasters price private labeling every which way. The key is not to find the best way, but to pick one that works for you, present it as your standard model, and define when you’re open to breaking those rules. For example, a common arrangement is to charge the cafe a flat $1-2 fee per bag packed which covers the labor, cost of packaging, etc. And critically: know when you can waive or cut the fees, like when you need a little extra wiggle room to close a bigger deal.
Shops: figure out your job to be done first. Your brand on the bag feels good, but does it do the job you need it to right now? Partnering with a reputable roaster and keeping their branding (and borrowing from their brand aura) can make a bigger difference in the short term. A roaster known for high-end coffees is a quality signal, and a roaster known for sustainability is a values signal. Before you sign on for added cost and complexity, think about what you really need right now.
Shops: private labeling is a great marketing opportunity. Create incentives for customers to share photos of the bags on Instagram. Set up a beautiful area for retail bags and take pictures of it periodically. Promote new coffees like you would new drinks. If you’re going to go through the work to do private labeling, make the most of it.
Go Deeper
A Blend All Your Own: Why You Should Consider Private Label Roasting
How Red Rooster, Stone Creek, and Dillanos each built out private label programs, and what it takes on the roaster’s side.
Coffee Packaging Design: 3 Roasters Share Key Lessons Learned
How three roasters picked a format, found a designer, and decided what their bag should say about them.
Designing a Good Coffee Bag Is Harder Than You’d Think
Olympia Coffee Roasting Co. on what actually earns a spot on the front of the bag.
Are Branded Coffee Cups Worth The Higher Cost?
The case for treating your packaging (in this case, takeaway cups) as a differentiation tool, cost breakdown included.
The Coffee Marketing Pyramid
A framework for building brand from the ground up, and why generic marketing (and generic packaging) leaves shops interchangeable.
