Heist Hopes Its Decaf Can Steal a Share of the Excessive-Finish Espresso Class

A brand new espresso model known as Heist launched on-line final month with a lineup targeted fully on decaf and low-caf coffees. Alongside direct-to-consumer gross sales, Heist is pursuing wholesale accounts with high-end bars and eating places, significantly these serving prospects later within the day.

“Bars and fantastic eating personal the a part of the day we care about. That’s the place espresso after 8 p.m. is already a thought of alternative, the place the visitor is paying consideration, and the place the individual constructing the menu has the standing to make it credible,” Heist Co-Founder Stephen Bruner advised Each day Espresso Information. “If a beverage director at a World’s 50 Finest bar places our decaf on the menu, that claims one thing a shelf placement can’t.”

Heist is constructing its decaf lineup by choosing caffeinated inexperienced coffees for high quality and taste earlier than evaluating how nicely they carry out via decaffeination.

“Our focus, and differentiator, is constructing the vast majority of our espresso program round coffees we choose,” Bruner mentioned. “This permits us to begin with the next degree of espresso high quality than what is often chosen for decaffeination.”

Bruner, a co-founder of the drinkware firm Corkcircle, based the coffee-focused enterprise together with his spouse, Sarah Bruner. Heist coffees characteristic solely water-process decaffeination via a number of suppliers, Bruner mentioned. 

Heist Director of Espresso Jarrett Johnson, a pal of the Bruners and founding father of Orlando, Florida-based Lineage Espresso Roasting, selects, buys and develops roast profiles for Heist coffees. Manufacturing takes place on Diedrich and Joper roasters on the Lineage facility.

Bruner hopes the ensuing coffees can transfer decaf from a menu afterthought to a extra deliberate alternative. “We’re not attempting to win a shelf slot,” Bruner mentioned. “We’re attempting to ascertain an event.”

Heist joins a rising variety of specialty espresso manufacturers targeted on decaf and reduced-caffeine choices. Brooklyn-based Explorer Chilly Brew acquired Savorista earlier this yr, whereas 2025 introduced the launches of Massachusetts-based Dekaf, Frequent Espresso in San Diego and Australia-based Caffeine Management, led by 2013 World Barista Champion Pete Licata.

Bruner and Johnson have been pals for a couple of decade, frequently spending time along with their households. Bruner mentioned his curiosity in constructing a quality-decaf-focused firm predates the class’s latest momentum.

“I had 15-plus years of date nights with my spouse that resulted in unhealthy decafs at eating places, and through a well being journey that included slicing off caffeine within the morning, I struggled to search out something nearly as good because the caffeinated alternate options,” Bruner mentioned. “The pursuit of this actually began with a query: Why is it not nearly as good?”

Previous to launching gross sales, a Pink Bourbon espresso from Huila, Colombia, roasted by Heist earned a rating of 93 from Espresso Evaluation, one of many highest scores ever given to a decaf by the longstanding evaluation web site. Bruner mentioned he expects one other espresso dropping later this yr to “shatter the ceiling for decaf” when it comes to cupping scores.

“We hope to maintain disrupting previous assumptions and shocking a few of the elite insiders we respect,” Bruner mentioned.

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