Five questions every café should ask a coffee supplier
Francis Irene Kwambaza · 29 June 2026 · 4 min read
Roast date, lot traceability, replacement policy, training support and lead time. If a supplier hesitates on any of them, keep looking.
Buying coffee wholesale is a relationship, not a transaction. These are the five questions we expect to be asked — and answer in writing.
1. What is the roast date, not the best-before date?
Espresso peaks between 7 and 21 days after roast. A best-before sticker twelve months out tells you nothing useful.
2. Can you name the washing station?
Country of origin is marketing. Station, cooperative and harvest window is traceability.
3. What happens if a bag is off?
Ours is simple: we replace it, collect the bag and cup it ourselves to find out what went wrong.
4. Do you train my team?
A great coffee served badly is a bad coffee. Onboarding training should be part of the supply agreement, not an upsell.
5. What is your lead time in Qatar?
We hold buffer stock in Doha and deliver within 48 hours across the country, roast-to-order for standing weekly volumes.
