WRITTEN BY JORDAN KOSSUTH
When Rosie Quasarano, Co-Founder and Director of Operations for Littlefoot Coffee, and sister Mary were younger, they would lay side by side, raise their legs in the air, and call out their nicknames. Rosie was “Big Foot” and Mary was “Little Foot” - and as Mary was the one to connect her sister with Alex Burbo, Co-Founder and Director of Coffee, it seemed fitting to give her a nod when naming their joint venture!
This introduction took place when both were living in Chicago and working in the coffee industry. Alex was the head roaster at Intelligentsia, and Rosie owned and operated Cup & Spoon. Both Rosie and Alex originally hail from Michigan and shared a common dream of opening a coffee roaster in their home state. While Littlefoot Coffee was born in Chicago, they returned to Michigan in 2019 to launch their warehouse operations. The west side of Michigan became the obvious home for their business, with so much community support for breweries, small businesses and the coffee industry.
Rosie and Alex set out to imagine a world in which Littlefoot would live - picturing him thriving deep in the forests of Michigan. Their warehouse location, tucked away in a wooded area by Buck Creek in Grandville, lends itself to the brand well. With the help of friend and award-winning designer Ryan Hoelting, their vision for the adorable little sasquatch sprung to life – and can be seen animating their packaging.
COLOR-CODED COFFEE
Their packaging serves to inform customers as well - the color indicates how each batch of coffee has been expertly roasted to highlight its unique qualities, so you can choose the right single origin or blend for you.
Their seasonally rotated single origin offerings are lightly roasted to highlight the unique flavors of their origin, and can be found in green bags. Make sure to try out Lake Day, Rosie’s summer favorite, while it’s available! Lake Day is a refreshing light roasted blend from Honduras and Costa Rica that highlights the bright, fruity flavors of a Michigan summer with notes of apricot, peach, and citrus.
Medium roasts, such as Dark Forest, can be found in blue bags. Dark Forest is a Honduran medium to dark roast with notes of cloves and chocolate.
And for those looking for the darkest roast they offer, look no further than Le Petite Monstre, a French roast using seasonal South American coffees with notes of smoked marshmallow, molasses and rich dark chocolate. Their Wendigo Espresso, a fruity, sweet espresso from single farm Moinha, is also labeled in orange.
COFFEE CONNECTIONS & SOURCING
The team at Littlefoot Coffee choose to source their coffee directly from farmers whenever they can. Marcos Contreras, a Honduran Coffee producer living in Grand Rapids, is one of their closest ties and sole supplier for Honduran coffees. Every season he brings them fresh crops from his family farm in Honduras. They also work with Jose Rivera, a connection from Alex’s previous job with farms in Peru.
If ever they are roasting coffee from a region they don’t have direct ties in, they are careful to use trusted importers and always paying above fair-trade pricing. They do their best to honor the hard work and energy that goes into growing coffee.
THE JOURNEY FROM SEED TO YOUR CUP
A coffee bean is actually the seed of the Coffea plant. It takes about two years for a Coffea plant to produce a cherry that is ripe enough to pick. Each cherry, the red or purple fruit of this plant, contains a “pit” of two coffee beans. From picking and sorting, to drying and roasting, you lose a lot of the weight along the way. One Coffea plant produces about one 12 oz bag of coffee beans.
A behind the scenes look at the journey that coffee takes from seed to cup can make the experience of your morning brew even more meaningful. Rosie looks forward to being able to offer tours & tasting at their facility again soon. Tours of their warehouse will be hosted by Alex, as the expert roaster, who walks customers though how they source their coffees, the variety of flavor notes, the farming and roasting process, and (most importantly) a coffee cupping, where you can experience the tastes and aromas firsthand! These tours will be offered to the public, as well as in private events - as a fresh and fun experience with coworkers or a group of friends.
LITTLEFOOT DROPPINGS
Littlefoot Droppings, their chocolate covered espresso beans, are available in both milk and dark chocolate, and proof of the elusive Littlefoot’s existence! These are handcrafted in partnership with Paula Reed of Amethyst Bee Cakery, and 5% of the profits from each bag are donated to Environment Michigan. This organization sets out to protect our beautiful state and promote core environmental values by transforming the power of our imaginations and our ideas into change that makes our world a greener and healthier place for all. After all, it’s especially important to preserve the forests in which Littlefoot dwells!
2021 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Littlefoot Coffee Roasters were recently awarded 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Michigan State University Product Center during the Making It in Michigan conference. The award recognizes Rosie and Alex for their unique accomplishments and growth over the past year - a year that has been admittedly challenging for small businesses - as well as for their commitment to supporting others.
In March 2020, they started the Littlefoot Coffee Fund, where $5 of every $20 spent on their online store was set aside to help offset the future orders of their cafe partners that were closed due to regulations put in place during the pandemic. Rosie and Alex have been able to donate more than 120 lbs of coffee to their independently owned cafe partners.
COFFEE FOR A CAUSE
The success of this campaign inspired them to create their Coffee for a Cause bag line. Over the course of a month, $10 from every Coffee for a Cause bag sold goes directly to a small business or local non-profit.
In June 2021, during Pride Month, these funds were donated to Transfigure Print Co’s Support Fund, connecting trans identifying individuals with funds that they can self-determine and receive in privacy. In March to honor Women’s History Month, funds were donated to Sow Hope, a non-profit dedicated to empowering women around the world by promoting wellness, education, and economic opportunities.
BRIDGE STREET MARKET BLEND
Littlefoot Coffee can be purchased on their webpage, at their warehouse location, and in stores at Bridge Street Market - as well as in their affiliate stores Woodward Corner Market and Capital City Market. Exclusively at Bridge Street Market you can find their Bridge Street Market Blend, a medium roast that varies by the season – and is sure to get your morning started right!
Rosie is grateful for the opportunities and support they have received from their first grocery account at Bridge Street Market, who have helped to expand their coffee line in ways they hadn’t imagined - from the addition of 2 lb coffee bags, to the creation of one of their newest products - Superior Cold Brew Concentrate.
Named after the coldest Great Lake, each 16-ounce bottle of Superior Cold Brew Concentrate is brewed to order and bottled locally to make 4+ drinks. All you have to do is mix with water, or your choice of milk! While a 1:1 ratio is suggested, they encourage you to enjoy at whatever strength is right for you.
Keep an eye out on the Littlefoot Coffee Instagram for announcements about upcoming tours and tastings, as well as how to support their next Coffee for a Cause!
All photos courtesy of Littlefoot Coffee Roasters.