If you've ever wanted to launch a coffee brand but didn't want to invest in a $50,000 roaster, toll roasting might be exactly what you're looking for. It's one of the coffee industry's best-kept secrets — and it's how more small brands, restaurants, and entrepreneurs are getting into the game than ever before.
What Is Toll Roasting?
Toll roasting is a service where you supply the green (unroasted) coffee beans, and a professional roasting facility roasts them to your specification. You get the finished, roasted coffee back — ready to package, sell, or serve.
Think of it like a co-packer model for coffee. You own the product, you control the sourcing, and you bring the vision. The roaster brings the equipment, expertise, and consistency.
The term "toll" comes from manufacturing — a toll processor charges a fee (a "toll") for using their equipment and labor on your raw materials.
How Toll Roasting Works
Step 1: You source green coffee. You work with an importer or direct-trade farmer to buy unroasted beans. This could be a specific single origin, a blend, or a particular lot you've discovered.
Step 2: You send it to the roaster. The green coffee ships to the toll roasting facility.
Step 3: You set the roast profile. You discuss with the roaster how you want the coffee to taste — light, medium, dark, optimized for espresso or pour-over. The roaster translates that into a repeatable roast profile.
Step 4: The roaster does the work. The facility roasts your coffee on professional-grade equipment in batches aligned to your volume.
Step 5: You receive finished coffee. Roasted coffee is returned to you, ready for packaging and sale.
Who Uses Toll Roasting?
Independent coffee brands who want full control over sourcing but don't have capital to buy a roaster or volume to justify one.
Restaurants and hotels that want a proprietary house blend made from beans they've specifically selected.
E-commerce and DTC sellers launching a coffee product without the overhead of a full roasting operation.
Importers and green coffee traders who want to roast samples or small lots to demonstrate quality to buyers.
Experienced baristas and Q Graders who have deep sourcing relationships but no roasting infrastructure.
Toll Roasting vs. White Label Coffee
These terms get confused often:
Toll roasting = you supply the green coffee, the roaster roasts it for you. White label coffee = the roaster sources, roasts, and packages the coffee, you put your brand on it.
Toll roasting gives you more control over the supply chain. White label is faster to launch. The right choice depends on how much sourcing control you want and how quickly you want to get to market.
Minimum Order Quantities
Most toll roasters work in batches of 10–25 lbs minimum. At Birch, we work with brands of all sizes — from a 25-lb test run to hundreds of pounds per month.
What Does Toll Roasting Cost?
Toll roasting fees are typically charged per pound of finished coffee. Rates vary based on batch size, roast profile complexity, sample roasting, and packaging services. We provide custom quotes based on your volume — transparent, no surprises.
Why Work With a NYC Roaster?
If your brand is based in New York or selling to a New York audience, there's real value in being able to say your coffee is roasted in NYC. Beyond marketing, working locally means faster turnaround, easier communication, and the ability to be hands-on with your product.
Getting Started With Toll Roasting at Birch
We've been roasting coffee in Long Island City since 2009. We have the capacity, equipment, and team to support toll roasting clients from 25 lbs to hundreds of pounds per month.
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Birch Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster based in New York City with 15 locations across New York City, Seoul, and beyond.