Twin Cities coffee roasters see pandemic-fueled growth

The state of play: Peace Coffee says it sold 17% more coffee in 2020 than it did in 2019, even though it closed three Twin Cities shops and saw food service sales drop 60%.

• Bizzy Coffee, a Minneapolis-based cold brew company, doubled its net sales year over year, going from shelf space in 100 stores nationwide to close to 1,000. Online orders tripled, per co-founder Alex French.
• "People wanted to up their coffee game," Peace Coffee CEO Lee Wallace said. "They got really interested in: 'How do I make a better cup of coffee at home?'"
• Grocery demand soared. Peace introduced a bigger, 20-ounce bag of beans and Bizzy rolled out new flavors.

The big picture: The trend is a bright spot for one slice of the local food and hospitality sector, which has been battered by pandemic closures.

• But we don't know if customers will stick to their new routines once they head back to the office.

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