And he’s from Boston. In the summer of 1992, a coffee shop called Coffee Connection in Cambridge, Massachusetts, distributed coupons for a new frozen drink called the Frappuccino. A major European tour was arranged by someone coming through our café. In 2007 Howell was awarded the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe's (SCAE) Better Coffee World Award. Severe rationing of coffee supplies at home and the wide consumption of the newly developed instant, freeze-dried coffee among soldiers caused American coffee palates to devolve. sales@georgehowellcoffee.com, For webstore inquiries: Can the … George Howell Coffee 312 School Street Acton, MA 01720: Monday–Friday 10am–5pm EST 1 (866) 444.5282: Questions or Comments: info@georgehowellcoffee.com For wholesale inquiries: sales@georgehowellcoffee.com For webstore inquiries: webstore@georgehowellcoffee.com Now, the coffee connoisseur is back with the new George Howell Coffee … Subscriptions: 888-881-5861 Get Connected CoffeeGeek Podcast 063 - SCAA, Connecting Worlds, George Howell Finally, our post SCAA 2008 Minneapolis wrapup show, and a feature interview with George Howell about the book Connecting Worlds: The Coffee Trail. George Howell Coffee. P.O. A coffee harvested nine months or even two years ago can now taste as if it just came off the farm. [George Howell] is trying to purify and identify the core essence of each origin: What is it that makes Guatemala Antigua so good?”—The Perfect Cup by Timothy James Castle (Aris Books, 1991). Years before he started this company he owned a chain of coffee shops in the Boston area called the Coffee Connection. As a visionary in the industry of specialty coffee George Howell was an early adopter of direct trade practices, developing relationships with farmers, financed the first refractometer, and co-founded the Cup of … 14 years in the beverage world working for Talking Rain and High Brew Coffee. Several hounds have fond memories of the Coffee Connection— Allstonian worked there in the mid-’80s, and CookieLee and her husband had their first date there in 1982! George Howell, who … We also talk about trends in coffee, blends hiding the farmer, CoE and much more.coffee machine coffee maker espresso machine Posted by Lean man at 02:00. American entrepreneur and a pioneer of the American specialty-coffee movement, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Article Featuring the life of George Howell from Boston Magazine, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Howell_(entrepreneur)&oldid=999783955, Short description is different from Wikidata, BLP articles lacking sources from May 2012, Articles with a promotional tone from May 2012, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with empty sections from July 2010, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 January 2021, at 23:12. 20 years ago, George Howell sold Coffee Connection to Starbucks. Recognized by his Peers—what others have said about George: “The ultimate aesthete”—Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast (Basic Books, 1999). George's life in coffee began in 1974 with his first café, The Coffee Connection in Cambridge's Harvard Square. George Howell Coffee roasts and sells beans from Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America. George: I get very excited about things, whether it’s art or coffee or whatever, and I have a deep need to share. Howell (is) a walking encyclopedia of coffee.”—Florence Fabricant, food columnist for The New York Times, 1993. When Starbucks purchased The Coffee Connection in 1994, they also gained the rights to use, make, market, and sell the Frappuccino drink. Nearly two decades after selling his iconic Coffee Connection chain to Starbucks, George Howell is about to attempt a comeback. Coffee that was unsold after seven days was donated to charity. Sprudge: Where'd you grow up and what were your foundational coffee experiences? View 1 review. They seemed to him like beckoning gates to a vast and unknown world. Soon after arriving in Boston in 1974, George discovered he was a frustrated, spoiled Berkeley coffee drinker (Peet’s and a number of lighter roast competitors were already thriving by the time the Howells left). We also talk about trends in coffee, blends hiding the farmer, CoE and much more.breville delonghi coffee machine When they arrived they were disappointed with the appalling quality of the local coffee. But the East Coast was different. George Howell was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Specialty Coffee Association of America in 1996, for having raised specialty coffee quality standards to a new level through his Massachusetts based company The Coffee Connection (1974 – 1994). Since then, George Howell … Facing an increasingly competitive market and weary from the time-consuming demands of running The Coffee Connection, George Howell sold his Boston-area stores to Starbucks in 1994. Their coffee shop in Newton offers a very good latte and cappuccino, as we'll as a good tea selection with loose-leaf teas that will delight even a true tea connoisseur. Beginning in 1997, he worked for the United Nations and the International Coffee Organization (ICO), creating models of economic sustainability for coffee farmers. When I published the Coffee Companion newsletter, George Howell was in the first tier of […] He was the founder of The Coffee Connection, a high-end coffee retailer based in Boston, Massachusetts which was acquired by the Starbucks Corporation in 1994 and which formed the nexus of their expansion into the Boston area. With the Coffee Connection George Howell named, trademarked, and sold the original Frappuccino ( Overall, George Howell is a great coffee and tea place. In the early 1970s, he fell in love with the art of the Huichol Indians of Mexico and threw himself into exhibiting and curating their work in California. espresso maker breville delonghi. Call (978) 635-9033. Years before he started this company he owned a chain of coffee shops in the Boston area called the Coffee Connection. By then he was already developing a missionary spirit for artistic and aesthetic causes. Ray: This week we’re talking about George Howell the personality. For those of you who don’t know, George Howell is a very important person in the history of coffee. I've been drinking George Howell's coffee since Coffee Connection--George's coffee is the best and this shop's cappuccino is still the best in Boston. After selling The Coffee Connection to Starbucks, George was free to resume his coffee education in new ways. Whereas West Coast coffee was predicated on a rich, strong, dark roast, Howell believed that a light "cinnamon roast" was better suited to bringing out the nuanced flavors of high-quality coffee beans which he compared to the subtle flavor characteristics of fine wine (However, very dark, thick coffee was served throughout his stores in the 1990s to compete with the likes of Starbucks) He also promulgated the notion of "single-origin" or "single-estate" coffees as opposed to beans blended from multiple sources. George Howell Coffee 312 School Street Acton, MA 01720: Monday–Friday 10am–5pm EST 1 (866) 444.5282: Questions or Comments: info@georgehowellcoffee.com For wholesale inquiries: sales@georgehowellcoffee.com For webstore inquiries: webstore@georgehowellcoffee.com It was that good! For George, it is about the thrill of inspiration and about respect—respect for the farmer, both his efforts and results; respect for the coffee, how we roast and package it; respect for you and your ability to discern a truly exceptional product. Kandace: Yeah. webstore@georgehowellcoffee.com. Raw coffee has traditionally been shipped from its country of origin in woven jute sacks. [2]. In 1958, his family moved to Mexico City, where he briefly attended a British school before settling into the Lycée Franco-Mexicain. As always, we roast with a light touch, one that does not overpower the coffee but allows it to exhibit its natural sweetness. “Back in 1994, before George Howell sold … the Coffee Connection … to Starbucks, he had the best selection of green coffees in the US. Finally, our post SCAA 2008 Minneapolis wrapup show, and a feature interview with George Howell about the book Connecting Worlds: The Coffee Trail. George Howell – Coffee Icon I used to arrange my European business travel so I could stopover in Boston and visit the Coffee Connection, George Howell’s first coffee roasting business. GEORGE H. HOWELL (AGENT) HOWELL CAFE I, LLC: MASSACHUSETTS DOMESTIC LIMITED-LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC) WRITE REVIEW: Address: C/O George Howell Coffee Company Llc 312 School Street Acton, MA 01720: Registered Agent: George H. Howell: Filing Date: September 01, 2010: File Number: 001035534: Contact Us About The Company Profile For Howell Cafe I, LLC For webstore inquiries: webstore@georgehowellcoffee.com All rights reserved. George Howell has been a pillar of excellence in the specialty coffee community for nearly five decades. We also talk about trends in coffee, blends hiding the farmer, CoE and much more. Six of those years were as General Manager of a NA Distribution Company owned by Talking Rain. The Coffee Connection® gives birth to specialty coffee in Boston. Office: 503-236-2587. Now he’s back in the business with George Howell Coffee. Roberto Alvarado Olivares — Great taste and balanced flavors! Thus my Coffee Connection (1975 – 1994) used to sell Colombian Supremo (large size beans with the fewest defects) from Nariño. Of the trip back East Howell has said "In 1974 we [decided] to leave the West Coast, I already had two kids with another on the way. Send Message. George built the Coffee Connection 25 years ago or so, which he sold to Starbucks in the mid-1990s. We drove cross-country. Today, George Howell Coffee has a roastery in Acton, MA with coffee shop locations around Boston. Experienced wine aficionados understand the concept of “terroir” well—that ineffable combination of region, climate, and craftsmanship that give a wine its unique qualities. “More than perhaps any other roaster in the country, the Coffee Connection focuses on selling the most quintessential example from each coffee-producing country. He returned to coffee-traveling world-wide, and in 1997 worked on models of economic sustainability for coffee farmers under the United Nations and the International Coffee Organization. We decided to move east to Boston. Our founder, George Howell, was also the founder of The Coffee Connection which grew to 24 stores in the Northeast before it was sold to Starbucks in 1994. George left the Cup of Excellence in 2002 to re-center his efforts on developing the quality-coffee market in the United States. Exhibiting art hardly paid the rent. George Howell Coffee Company LLC. George Howell – Coffee Icon I used to arrange my European business travel so I could stopover in Boston and visit the Coffee Connection, George Howell’s first coffee roasting business. - https://t.co/pltC3j0K3n- Friday Jan 8 - 9:19pm, Questions or Comments: As many in Boston recall, George Howell was the founder of the Coffee Connection, which opened its first location in Harvard Square in 1975 and later expanded into a local chain. They left their hometown, Berkeley, in search of some undefined opportunity in Boston. You can ensure optimal savings by looking for opportunities to save money when you shop with George Howell Coffee Coupon: Joining George Howell Coffee can testify helpful as one can avail First Time George Howell Coffee Promo Code and discounts on all products. George Howell. We also talk about trends in coffee, blends hiding the farmer, CoE and much more.coffee maker espresso machine espresso maker These photos were taken with a camera in one hand and note-taking in the other. That year George sold The Coffee Connection to Starbucks Coffee Company. George Howell (born 1945) is an American entrepreneur and one of the pioneers of the specialty-coffee movement in the United States in the early 1970s. George Howell is more than the brains behind the George Howell Coffee Company that he started in 2004. “It is not a terroir product, despite what other people are saying. The sampling, or “cupping,” of coffee is an intricate process. The bean rotation will keep you … Though espresso or "Italian coffee" did emerge as a micro-niche product in Beatnik bars of the 1950s, weak-tasting, cheap canned coffee made in percolators and on diner hot plates was the rule of the day until Alfred Peet started his company and began to elevate tastes in the late 1960s. Now he has started a new coffee-roasting business called GHH Select (George Howell Coffee Company™). The Coffee Connection was a magnet that enabled Juan to receive aid from Cultural Survival, and through them, Bread for the World. George Howell: I grew up in Hasbrouck Heights, and later Ridgewood, New Jersey, till the age of 13, and then my parents hauled me off to Mexico. Maybe I'm wrong--I'm not happy about one of your store policies and complained about it. George, and now his daughter Jenny, travel to coffee-producing areas to personally identify and source these rare finds and has even begun to arrange for very special small lots directly from producers, hand graded to his quality specifications. “Cold brew is a concoction more related to the way beer is made,” said Howell. Seeking to advance the quality of coffee in Boston to what he was accustomed to in California, Howell began to educate himself about the cultivation, processing, roasting and brewing of fine coffees. The Coffee Connection. Coffee drinkers in Massachusetts responded enthusiastically to his products. Meet George Howell Coffee - Boston, MA. George Howell Coffee 312 School Street Acton, MA 01720: Monday–Friday 10am–5pm EST 1 (866) 444.5282: Questions or Comments: info@georgehowellcoffee.com For wholesale inquiries: sales@georgehowellcoffee.com For webstore inquiries: webstore@georgehowellcoffee.com We had the opportunity to meet with George, his daughter, and a few other folks at George Howell Coffee … George's life in coffee began in 1974 with his first café, The Coffee Connection in Cambridge's Harvard Square. Quality pioneers such as Terroir Coffee have now taken the search for quality a crucial step further. Get directions. George’s goal was to promote the expressive vitality and original spatial mastery of certain Huichol artists; he hoped this would lift them out of that unfortunate appellation “folk artists,” which reinforced their anonymity and belittled their pre-Columbian religion (miraculously still intact). By the early 1990s, the Starbucks Corporation, under the leadership of CEO Howard Schultz, was expanding aggressively in major urban US markets. George: I get very excited about things, whether it’s art or coffee or whatever, and I have a deep need to share. George Howell Coffee 312 School Street Acton, MA 01720: Monday–Friday 10am–5pm EST 1 (866) 444.5282: Questions or Comments: info@georgehowellcoffee.com For wholesale inquiries: sales@georgehowellcoffee.com For webstore inquiries: webstore@georgehowellcoffee.com “George Howell…one of the coffee world’s most knowledgeable and passionate spokesmen. George Howell Coffee prides itself on supporting coffee farmers around the world. George Howell Coffee was founded in 2004 by veteran coffee pioneer George Howell. In 2002 Howell returned to the retail coffee market, when he founded the George Howell 'Terroir' Coffee Company, which sells whole bean single-estate coffees through a website. The benefit this method has for the flavor of coffee has been covered in Wine Spectator and is supported by a healthy consensus. George’s life in coffee began in 1974 with his first café, The Coffee Connection in Cambridge’s Harvard Square. All rights reserved. Beginning in 1997, he worked for the United Nations and the International Coffee Organization (ICO), creating models of economic sustainability for coffee farmers. George Howell Coffee was founded in 2004 by veteran coffee pioneer George Howell. The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) awarded George its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996 in recognition of his critical role as a pioneering standard bearer of quality coffee. George Howell Coffee 312 School Street Acton, MA 01720: Monday–Friday 10am–5pm EST 1 (866) 444.5282: Questions or Comments: info@georgehowellcoffee.com. Finally, our post SCAA 2008 Minneapolis wrapup show, and a feature interview with George Howell about the book Connecting Worlds: The Coffee Trail. The sale [in 1994]… gave Starbucks immediate access to a core of well-informed coffee drinkers.”—Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz (Hyperion, 1997) on the sale of The Coffee Connection in Boston to Starbucks. In the mid-1960s, George studied art history and modern European literature at Yale University. This concept is well established in Europe, where it has spread to olive oil, scotch, cheeses, and other fine food products. It is the first of many visits to come. George Howell Coffee, Boston: See 157 unbiased reviews of George Howell Coffee, rated 4.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #185 of 3,008 restaurants in Boston. George Howell started the Coffee Connection in 1974, then sold the chain to Starbucks in 1994. Quality pioneers such as Terroir Coffee have now taken the search for quality a crucial step further. Designed by our own Cafe Quality Control and Content Manager, Juliana LaVita, this mug pays homage to The Coffee Connection, George Howell’s first coffee venture in Boston. 3 Little Figs. For wholesale inquiries: sales@georgehowellcoffee.com. I drove with my father in a Plymouth station wagon in 1958 from Jersey to Atlanta through the segregated South, and I was … Howell worked to develop relationships with various coffee plantations the world over, overseeing the entire process from the selection of the beans to roasting and cupping. He has written for many food and beverage publications, has guest lectured at Harvard University, Boston University and Johnson & Wales. I took with me some whole bean coffee and a grinder. Now the cafe visionary will attempt a comeback with George Howell Coffee. George Howell is one of the world's leading coffee visionaries. George built the Coffee Connection 25 years ago or so, which he sold to Starbucks in the mid-1990s. Address: 278 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143. He was the founder of The Coffee Connection, a high-end coffee retailer based in Boston, Massachusetts which was acquired by the Starbucks Corporation in 1994 and which formed the nexus of their expansion into the Boston area. I was in Kenya for an intense four days. The Coffee Connection grew to 24 stores before it was sold to Starbucks in 1994. This project led to his conceiving and co-founding the Cup of Excellence in 1999, a program designed to help break the commodity/price cycle in the specialty-coffee industry. But Howell, as ever, roasts moderately…. Ray: This week we’re talking about George Howell the personality. He has said that "Boston was a desert of stale, brown-painted wooden pellets and liquified ground saw dust." Thus my Coffee Connection (1975 – 1994) used to sell Colombian Supremo (large size beans with the fewest defects) from Nariño. Coupons from the 1992 launch of the Frappuccino, courtesy of George Howell. In 2007 Howell was awarded the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe’s highest honor, the Better Coffee World Award. Howell approached his coffee slightly differently than Peet and the others in the West. He had grown The Coffee Connection into 24 company-owned stores in the Northeast, and sold his high-quality popular coffee company to Starbucks in 1994. They are actually a local purveyor and roaster based out in Acton. © 2013-2021 In 2000, he donated a spectacular 4’ x 8’ yarn painting by the celebrated Huichol artist, Jose Benitez Sanchez, to Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology, where it can be seen today. George Howell Coffee opened last week in Newtonville in the space formerly occupied by Taste Coffee House. This led directly to the founding of the precedent-setting Cup Of Excellence program in 1999; it established the world’s first international estate coffee competition and international internet auction that mightily contributed to breaking the commodity/price cycle for craftsman farmers in the specialty coffee industry. Howell has likened this practice to shipping wine overseas "in open vats". Not sure how to balance this rating because I've just had a one-star encounter in your shop. “Mr. George Howell Interview, Pt. Boston was a desert of stale, brown-painted wooden pellets and liquefied ground saw dust.George was suddenly transformed into a coffee missionary and The Coffee Connection was born. In 1996 Howell was awarded the Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his "critical role as a pioneering standard bearer of quality coffee.". Visit www.georgehowellcoffee.com or call 866-444-5282 for more information. By the time Howell had left Berkeley, West Coast coffee pioneer Alfred Peet was already successfully established in the Bay Area and had already inspired Starbucks founders Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker to start their own high-quality coffee store further north in Seattle. Status: Open daily for takeout (advance online ordering is available) and outdoor seating. George Howell Coffee Company LLC. “Howell became legendary for doing anything to find clean, beautifully processed beans.”—The Joy of Coffee by Corby Kummer, senior editor of The Atlantic Monthly (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995). On October 2, 2010 Howell announced his return to retail coffee with the acquisition of Taste Coffee House in Newton, Massachusetts in order to have more face to face interaction with coffee consumers. At the first Coffee Connection shop. He continued to travel to coffee-producing countries (Colombia, India, Sumatra, Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru), offering his services as a coffee quality consultant. It led to exhibitions at Harvard University and Northeastern University. I've been drinking George Howell's coffee since Coffee Connection--George's coffee is the best and this shop's cappuccino is still the best in Boston. I thought George had the best. George Howell Coffees (previously Terroir Coffee) is a microroaster focusing on elite single-origin coffees. CoffeeGeek Podcast 063 - SCAA, Connecting Worlds, George Howell Finally, our post SCAA 2008 Minneapolis wrapup show, and a feature interview with George Howell about the book Connecting Worlds: The Coffee Trail. By the 1990s The Coffee Connection had grown into a chain of 24 company-owned stores in the Boston area. Email This … It is the Association's highest honor. 1: Author: Mark Prince Posted: September 1, 2005: Article rating: 8.4: feedback: (5) comments | read | write: On the phone today we have a guy, who, if consumers know him, I'm betting they are going to know him through a book that was published called "Uncommon Grounds" by Mark Pendergast. He was the founder of The Coffee Connection, a high-end coffee retailer based in Boston, Massachusetts which was acquired by the Starbucks Corporation in 1994 and which formed the nexus of their expansion into the Boston area. 4.8 of 5 stars. George Howell Coffee 312 School Street Acton, MA 01720: Monday–Friday 10am–5pm EST 1 (866) 444.5282: Questions or Comments: info@georgehowellcoffee.com For wholesale inquiries: sales@georgehowellcoffee.com For webstore inquiries: webstore@georgehowellcoffee.com George spent his first thirteen years in one of those New Jersey towns where one is always dimly aware of the looming towers of New York City on the horizon. He was the founder of The Coffee Connection, a high-end coffee retailer based in Boston, Massachusetts which was acquired by the Starbucks Corporation in 1994 and which formed the nexus of their expansion into the Boston area. In 2004 he created the George Howell Coffee and its Terroir Coffee brand, which specializes in single estate coffees and pioneers in raising quality coffee standards to much higher levels. In 1975, George Howell was one of the first people to introduce specialty coffee to this part of New England. Posted by Lean man at 06:00. 312 School St, Acton, MA. George Howell Coffee’s mission is to seek out the best coffees on Earth, encouraging people to join in their quest for the ultimate cup. 4.8. Most small farmers have well under 10 … The chain grew to 24 stores before it was sold in 1994 to Starbucks, giving the Seattle chain a big boost to its presence in Boston. He was the founder of The Coffee Connection, a high-end coffee retailer based in Boston, Massachusetts which was acquired by the Starbucks Corporation in 1994 and which formed the nexus of their expansion into the Boston area. George Howell (born 1945) is an American entrepreneur and one of the pioneers of the specialty-coffee movement in the United States in the early 1970s. It was 1992, and the Coffee Connection cafe owner George Howell was looking for … Our Terroir® Coffee line of single-estate and exceptional regional coffees is the next step in this unfolding odyssey as he presses to extend the limits of quality coffee standards. About. Once a coffee is chosen and acquired, it is re-packaged and stored under special conditions, which halts the naturally accelerating degradation process of raw coffee.