A Fresh Perspective on Coffee

James Freeman, Blue Bottle Coffee

James Freeman, founder and CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee, recalls how his business was born. Formerly a freelance musician, Freeman says his passion for roasting his own coffee beans drove him to put down the clarinet and learn basic commerce. He began by selling coffee at a local farmers' market and saw an opportunity for differentiation by emphasizing freshness, like other categories of edibles had begun to do.