Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company is a coffeehouse, coffee roaster, and tea distributor based in Wallingford in Seattle.
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History
In 1979 Tim McCormack was the manager of Starbucks' roasting operation. In 1987 the ownership of Starbucks changed hands and McCormack moved into the wholesale division of the company. In 1996 McCormack formed a partnership with Jeff Babcock and together they founded Zoka.
Recognition
Zoka encourages its baristas to compete in barista meetups and competitions. In 2002 Zoka barista Dismas Smith placed third in the World Barista Championship and other employees have similarly been recognized in regional barista competitive events.
Brand image
Zoka coffee is characteristically shade-grown coffee and the company promotes concepts of ecological sustainability.
Coffee club
Part of Zoka's business model includes a "coffee club" wherein Zoka creates unique coffee blends and roasts for subscribers who are interested in learning the variations in the quality of coffee due to differences in production.