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In the early 1980s, Mike Caruso's family started a home party company called Utensils Unlimited specializing in a wide range of kitchen gadgets. After the family's basement began to resemble a warehouse, they opened a retail outlet in Brecksville called The Kitchenry. To build traffic in their new store, they began to offer coffee, teas, and cookies. Soon they purchased a small roaster, and became one of the two stores in Ohio to have an in-store coffee roaster.
By 1986 business had grown to the point that they founded Berardi's Fresh Roast where they began to focus on wholesaling their freshly roasted coffee. They sold Berardi's in 2000, but within three years Mike's sons Dominic and Michael had persuaded their father to return to the coffee business. In April 2003 they founded Caruso's Coffee and have since earned a reputation as one of the best roasters in the United States. We met with Mike, Dominic, and Michael recently, and listened as they outlined their company's offerings;
Caruso's Coffee offers a complete solution for anybody in the specialty coffee business. In addition to our custom roasted coffees, we offer an assortment of coffee related products. These include Torani syrup and sauces, Oregon Chai, Ghirardelli Chocolates, and Harney & Sons Teas, just to name a few. Along with our extensive product offerings, Caruso's has a complete equipment program. This program includes loaned brewing equipment, as well as service for the machines. We are a one-stop-shop for anyone wishing to capitalize on the continued growth in the specialty beverage industry.
Our business philosophy is that we will only sell products that we would consume ourselves. We are very selective in the quality of the products that we distribute. We select only products that are the market leaders in their category. Not only do we have outstanding products, but we also have Point-of-Sale (POS) materials and marketing support to increase product recognition with the public. We have been in the specialty coffee industry for over twenty years. We pride ourselves in being one of the foremost coffee roasters in the mid-west. Caruso's Coffee services accounts of all sizes from coast to coast.
All of our coffees are roasted to order, and whether it's for a large grocery store wanting 500 pounds a week or a small restaurant needing only 10, each batch is roasted to order with the same attention to quality. In the Ohio market, our delivery trucks service the entire Northern Ohio area, from Cleveland to Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Warren, Mansfield, Columbus, and later this year to Cincinnati. We ship product all over the country via United Parcel Service (UPS) and common carrier. We supply a wide array of customers ranging from wholesalers needing a 10,000 pound truck load to coffee shops wanting a case of syrup and 50 pounds of coffee.
Caruso's Coffee offers branded and private label programs for a variety of customers. We private label for retailers, food service distributors, office coffee providers, and vending companies. We are capable of producing coffees which meet a variety of flavor profiles, quality levels, and price points.
Our web site is currently geared toward the wholesale market. The site will soon be updated to serve the needs of the end consumer. It will also be equipped with an online ordering option for our wholesale customers.
Caruso's Coffee is a Fair Trade Registered Roaster, and we are certified organic by the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA). Not only has many of the great coffees we buy been certified organic, but our roasting facility itself is the only one in Northern Ohio that's taken the extra step to become certified organic.
While specialty coffee is what Caruso's Coffee does best, they also provide an unparalleled level of support, expertise, and experience in the industry. Call Caruso's Coffee today, and don't forget to tell them The Advocate sent you!
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