Ellwood Thompson’s Blog

Best coffee ever. The Misty Valle is wonderful.

This was posted on Feb 8th, 2009 at 09:57pm by Joel in Tuckahoe.

Thanks for coming in John. I have to agree the coffee from the Clover is absolutely amazing. I can not wait until we do coffee tastings of the different Clover brews (and I am usually a tea drinker but the Clover very well might convert me).

This was posted on Feb 9th, 2009 at 11:55am by Cyndi.

[…] Thompson’s blog states that Ellwood’s Coffee, their organic, fair trade coffee shop, is now open. Soft open, that is, as they work out the […]

This was posted on Feb 9th, 2009 at 01:26pm by West of the Boulevard News » Blog Archive » Ellwoods Coffee now open?!?!.

Got a iced coffee there on friday. You guys need a simple syrup at the condiment station for the cold beverages. Shoots

This was posted on Feb 9th, 2009 at 07:09pm by Me.

Cheers Darren. Artful espresso returns none too soon to Carytown. (The faithful still lament Tom’s exodus from Can Can). Come see coffee excellence where precision meets passion. Viva barista!

This was posted on Feb 9th, 2009 at 10:48pm by Zach, Parkwood & Mulberry.

sandwiches are a little expensive in my opinion. I got the chicken pesto and it was $7 for what appeared to be a half of a sandwich and it didn’t come with anything.

people want to feel like they are getting their money’s worth, especially these days, when money is tight.

This was posted on Feb 25th, 2009 at 02:19pm by Mel, Richmond.

It is so Ellwood Thompsons to urge people to “drink local” while all their coffee beans come from out of state. Inquire at their massive corporate office on Staples Mill.

This was posted on Feb 26th, 2009 at 03:24am by hans.

That is a company based out of state.

This was posted on Feb 26th, 2009 at 03:27am by hans.

Hi Greg,
Thank you for the comment; it helps us to understand how we can improve. In this case we need to explain why “Drink Local” is the motto of Ellwood’s Coffee. Ellwood’s Coffee is a independent Richmond based company. Which is very important in today’s economy. It is said that .80 cents of every dollar spent at a local store stays in the community in comparison to .15 cents from every dollar spent at corporate chain stores. So just by buying something at Ellwood’s Coffee or any of the other wonderful local stores and restaurants in Richmond you are supporting local. But “How is my Valle del Santuario coffee from Peru local?” Well obviously it is not, Coffee is not grown in the continental U.S. But it is certified direct trade, organic and shade grown. When items are not available locally for purchase we source the very best products with the best growing and business practices. The coffee is roasted by Counter Culture in Durham North Carolina 150 miles from our store which outside of our definition of local (within 100 miles) but within our regional designation. We choose to feature Counter Culture Coffee in our store because it truly is Coffee with a conscience check out their website: http://www.counterculturecoffee.com/ So all though we do not have local coffee we do offer many other local products in our coffee shop all of draught beers, many of our wines, our bread and pastries, our tofu and seiitan, much of the produce, and a selection of teas to name a few. We feature local artists and musicians and contract with local vendors. As far as our “massive” corporate office is concerned, you are certainly welcome to come and check it out, we believe in transparency, but honestly it is not all that grand, it houses 6 employees: the Marketing team, comprised of two people, the finance team, comprised of two people, our Director of Operations and our CEO. The store is just too small to provide office space for these departments.

This was posted on Feb 26th, 2009 at 12:08pm by Cyndi.

Hi Mel,
We agree. Local and Organic ingredients do cost more than conventional ingredients but we are working with our new coffee shop menu to create a more appealing menu, we have side dishes to accompany the sandwiches on the way. Thanks so much for coming in and providing us with feedback.

This was posted on Feb 26th, 2009 at 12:33pm by Cyndi.

Hi, I was not trying to attack you guys, I buy wines and foods from all over the world. I however use local purveyors to keep my money in the community. Blanchards on Forest Hill would be a good option for coffee. Take care, Greg.

This was posted on Feb 26th, 2009 at 12:55pm by hans.

I did not take your comments as an attack just as an opportunity to tell our story. Blanchard’s is wonderful coffee and we do carry them in our store.

This was posted on Feb 26th, 2009 at 02:10pm by Cyndi.

Nice to see you guys finally got the coffee shop going! As a former employee (now living in the Pacific Northwest) it’s great to see people in that area concentrating on “supporting local” in any way they can. I hear the community garden thing is going through too! I’m now living within walking distance of several patches here in Seattle. Go green Richmond!
P.S. A nearby shopping complex has 3 (!) Starbucks located within. One is in the B&N bookstore and one is in a grocery store chain, but still, it’s crazy! Even my kids make jokes about it.
Enjoy your local caffeine buzz…XO Mandy

This was posted on Apr 8th, 2009 at 02:57pm by mandy, seattle.