In this episode, ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski sits down with Michael Conte, the COO of Conte Coffee Company at ECRM’s recent Foodservice and Private Label Food & Beverage Sessions. From the brand’s humble beginnings as a local family business to becoming the powerhouse behind private label brands for some of America's largest retailers, Michael shares an inside look at what it takes to scale a beverage empire.

Whether you are an aspiring brand looking to break into retail or a coffee lover curious about the technology behind your morning brew, this conversation serves up invaluable insights into business pivots, cutting-edge automated roasting, and the future of functional beverages.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The Pivot That Saved the Business: How shifting from a pure foodservice model to e-commerce and private label right before 2019 protected the company from the devastating impacts of the pandemic.
• Five-Story Roasters & Air Fryer Tech: A look inside Conte’s fully automated facility in Italy that features massive Neotech roasters that blend and roast green beans simultaneously to create an unparalleled amalgamation of flavor.
• The Logistics of Private Label Success: Why holding 90 days of buffer inventory is a game-changer for major retail clients, and a realistic breakdown of the 9-to-12-month timeline from winning a retail bid to seeing products on shelves.
• Barista-Proof Foodservice Innovation: How plug-and-play espresso machinery, automated grinders, and Internet-of-Things software are helping restaurants combat staffing shortages by delivering consistent quality with zero training required.
• The Next Big Trends in Coffee: Michael discusses what’s on the horizon, including upcoming celebrity coffee lines and the massive surge in demand for functional ingredients like protein, creatine, and collagen driven by the GLP-1 wellness boom.