Who we are

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to provide the best quality coffee we can source, roast, and serve at a fair price, while maintaining socially and environmentally sustainable practices.

ABOUT

On January 1st, 1984, financed with a $4,000 loan from a close friend of Bill’s, Mel, Rose, Charlie and Bill Fishbein opened Coffee Exchange in a modest 375 square foot space in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence, RI. Selling coffee beans, and coffee and tea paraphernalia, brewed coffee wasn’t even on the menu until a couple years later when an old Eterna Espresso Machine was rescued from the junkyard and given a new life, next to the very old 5-burner Bunn brewer.

Why Coffee? Coffee has always been a special part of our lives. While the coffee boom in the US and rest of the world wouldn’t take place until the late 80s, we were never interested in making a killing in the coffee market. We just wanted to earn a living doing what we loved to do: Offer - and drink -  the best quality coffee in an atmosphere away from the hustle-bustle energy of the city, listening to music that spans generations - and making friends… lots of friends.

We built Coffee Exchange around a single focus: The Customer’s Experience. And the guiding principle, as Mel would often say, “The customer is not always right but, The Customer is Always The Customer.“ And honoring that principle for almost 40 years has built a lot of friends.

Coffee Philosophy

In all aspects of procurement, Coffee Exchange strives to do right by the coffee farmers, and the regions where our coffee is grown. We promote organic coffee growing practices in which no artificial pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used, creating stronger and healthier crops, and protecting farmers and their families from carcinogenic risks.

Our roasted coffee is the result of years of experience and dedication to the best roasting practices. Depending on the origin, growing region, and style of preparation, every coffee carries a unique set of physical and flavor characteristics. As coffee roasters our job is to identify and highlight each of those special flavor characteristics that define a particular coffee, and determine the roasting methodology that will enhance these flavors. All Coffee Exchange coffee, whether it’s our Single Origins, Blends, Limited Offerings or Decaffeinated coffees, all are painstakingly managed so as to maximize freshness and standardized roast profiles.

Check out our Single Origin selection here

shop single origin coffee

Sustainable Partners

The Coffee Trust

visit thecoffeetrust.org

Cooperative Coffees

Visit Coop Coffees