Our story
Ten years of coffee, croissants and conversation.
Made by neighbours, for neighbours
Ember & Crumb began with a simple idea: a café where the coffee is roasted in the back, the pastries are baked at dawn and the person behind the counter knows your name.
Maya handles the coffee buying, Theo roasts, Rosa bakes, and a team of 34 makes it all feel like home.
- Roasted in Seattle
- Everything baked from scratch
- Living wages for every team member
How we got here
-
2016
Six stools on Alder Street
The first café opens with a second-hand roaster in the back room.
-
2018
Our first farm visit
Maya visits the Konga washing station in Ethiopia and starts buying direct.
-
2020
Bean Club
Fresh beans delivered across the country through a difficult year.
-
2022
Fremont opens
Our second café, with a full brunch kitchen.
-
2026
Capitol Hill
Café number three, with a brew bar and a bigger bakery.
Our promises
Fair prices
We pay farmers 70% above the Fairtrade minimum.
Less waste
Compostable bags, reusable cups and grounds for local gardens.
Good jobs
Living wages, health cover and paid training for everyone.
We wanted to build the kind of café we would want to spend every morning in. Turns out a lot of our neighbours wanted the same thing.
The people behind the counter
Maya Chen
Co-founder & Green Coffee BuyerVisits every farm we buy from.
Rosa Delgado
Head BakerStarts laminating at 4 am, every day.
Theo Brandt
Head RoasterRoasts every bean we sell.
Amelia Ross
Café Manager, Alder StKnows every regular’s order.
Three cafés, one very good cup
Alder Street, Fremont and Capitol Hill. Open every day from 6:30 am.
