We help specialty coffee roasters increase profit and optimize their operations.
What Does Pomelo Do & Who’s Behind It
What Pomelo Does
Pomelo helps specialty coffee roasters with their people, processes, and profit.
Our methodology follows a framework that our founder developed and coined as the Core 7. This framework breaks down everything that happens within a successful roastery into seven operational categories. You can learn more about it here.
Our goal is for specialty coffee roasters to achieve operational and financial stability to make a positive impact in the world.
Who’s Behind Pomelo
Luke Waite is the founder and principal consultant of Pomelo Coffee Consulting and the creator of the Core 7, a framework designed to help owners of coffee roasters build lasting success by focusing on the seven most essential areas of their business. To learn more about him, head over here.
The Core 7
The Core 7 are seven areas that we have found to be the biggest operational hurdles for growing coffee roasters to overcome.
The roasters who master the Core 7 don’t follow the pack; they lead it in their market.
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"Sales" some think it's a dirty word, but no matter what you think about it, your coffee roaster needs it to survive. In our experience, most roasters don't have an established sales process, which results in unpredictable sales, prospecting, partner care, and growth.
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That super special micro lot that blows your mind (and is also $17/lb) likely isn’t the thing that offers stability to your coffee roaster.
Roasters need to diversify their offerings and provide additional items to their lineup that are not coffee in order to stay competitive.
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You’ve probably said or heard a roaster/owner say something like, “If we grow $x.xx in sales…if we open 3 more cafes…if we release more coffees like…we’ll become profitable.”
This is a fallacy of scale.
Scale has the potential to increase your buying power & decrease your cost. Scale doesn’t mean that you’ll wake up and be profitable as a result. Profitability is a practice, not a goal.
Like kinetic energy, if you are profitable today, you’ll likely continue to be profitable tomorrow, and the reverse is also true.
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How should I buy green coffee?
When should I buy green?
How much green should I buy?
Where should I buy from?
All of these are great questions, and the answers are just as unique as you are. The how, what, when and why behind your green buying should have strong answers. We’re here to help you think through this, and develop a sustainable process for your green coffee buying practices.
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The things that got you here today will not be what gets you to where you’d like to go.
Your roastery operations will need to evolve, improve, and be iterated on.
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Your people are what allow you to do the work you do. They are the backbone, the heartbeat, and the movement of your business. How you care for them, hire them, train them, coach them and lead them shouldn’t be an afterthought. You should be putting forethought into your people practices.
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If wholesale is a core element of your business, it should be something that you spend time working to develop, care for, and improve your wholesale partnerships.
Curious how your roaster sizes up?
Take this 14 question assessment to see what areas could be improved and we’ll follow up with you after.
Twice a year, we facilitate a 6 month owners-only cohort serving as a sanctuary for camaraderie, candid feedback, and personal and professional development.
Junto Members Say
“For me, the writing prompts, the voice assessment, and the accountability have been most helpful.”
- Murtaza Aziz - Ceramic Coffee Roasters -
“The Junto program was a game-changer …we implemented changes that turned our financial struggles into a story of success…I highly recommend Pomelo for anyone ready to enhance their coffee business strategy and achieve tangible results!”
- Julie Luster Three Waves Coffee -
“I have seen myself...from the outside...through conversations with other owners and that's a hard perspective to get but a super helpful one.”
- Andy Fuchtman - Sidecar Coffee -
Pre Order
Pre Order
The Pomelo Book is slated to be released this summer 2025!
Want to pre-order yours today?
Industry Folks Are Saying
“With the coffee market in the midst of a seismic change this book is a must read for all coffee roastery owners!”
Caleb Holstein - Co-Founder & CEO of greensqure
“…The Owner’s Manual cuts through the noise and gives real, practical advice on how to make a roastery work long-term without sacrificing quality or your core values. If you want your roastery to thrive and need help putting the right systems in place, read this book!”
Carly Green - Sourcing & Quality Consultant and Founder of Cherry Love Coffee
“Coffee roasting or any business, for that matter, can always be looked upon as a child and will always need great parenting, guidance, and TLC. This is such a great resource!”
Patrick Lau - Founder & CEO of Savor Brands
“Roasting coffee is simple, but running a roastery? That’s where the real trip begins. Luke is candid, laying it all out for you—the tension, the grind, the beauty of crafting something built to last. This book is essential as it is uplifting.”
Kurtis Kearby - QC Manager Benchmark Coffee Traders
Luke Waite has written a master class in operating a coffee roasting business. A must read for all specialty coffee professionals...”
Spencer Turer - Vice President at Coffee Enterprises and Founder of the Coffee Writers Guild
“…Witty yet demanding, insightful yet practical, Luke pushes you to rethink your approach. By the end, you won’t just roast—you’ll run a thriving roastery.”
Philipp Schallberger - Sourcing, Roasting, Storytelling, Partner of Kaffeemacher, Switzerland
Owners are saying…
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New Math Coffee
“For roastery consulting and buildout, Luke from pomelo is someone I can’t recommend enough. Highly seasoned in operations management, he can break down the costs of such an endeavor down to the smallest possible details while keeping the overall purpose clearly at the forefront of planning.”
Mikey Rinaldo - Owner & Roaster
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Five & Hoek Coffee
“Luke & pomelo have helped us streamline a lot of our systems. My favorite tool that I’ve used for 3 years now is the coffee pricing calculator. This tool helps me pinpoint my margins and decide which coffee to bring in every time I make a green coffee purchase.”
Tyler Fivecoat - Co-Owner & Roaster
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Sidecar Coffee
Working with Luke and Pomelo has been of great benefit to Sidecar as a company and me personally. Luke fielded some of my thorniest questions and asked me some tough ones as well. Together we looked over our company in an organized way for the first time and were able to find areas of strength and potential areas for growth. Sidecar will be a stronger organization over the long term because of our work with Luke and I'd recommend him to anybody looking to work on the durability and longevity of their company.
Andy Fuchtman - Owner
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Sakrid Coffee
“For as long as I’ve dreamt of opening and operating a cafe, Luke has been a trusted advocate and friend in helping make my hopes of brewing coffee a reality. Because coffee is my passion and my work, I want to do it well; I want to honor those who grow it, who roast it, who brew it, and who sip it. Luke has not only supported that passion, but he has helped shape it, inform it, and connect it to my unfolding journey as a small cafe owner and operator here in Chicago.”
Joey Dearduff
Chicago Opening GM
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Muse Coffee Studio
Luke has a special quality that you don't find often (anywhere, let alone in a space that is so competitive and ubiquitous). He has a genuine sincerity that is immediately evident…He gave me insight on sourcing beans, my menu, inventory management, operations, and so many other things. If you have a desire to learn about coffee, build a coffee shop, or grow in any capacity within the coffee space, I would highly recommend Luke, Lev Co, and Pomelo.
George Davis Jr. - Owner
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Rite Coffee Co.
In all aspects of the coffee business Luke was able to share his expertise and prompt us with questions about our business plan to help us develop and expand our business plan. Every meeting we had was efficient, with a pre planned agenda and items for us to prepare in advance to be ready to explore further. Luke was curious and interested in our ideas and helped us elevate them. I have no doubt that Luke is a great asset as a consultant, and would highly recommend him.
Jassen and Nicole Bluto - Co-Owners
Going to Expo?
Let’s eat some brisket and taste some coffee together!
I’ll be giving a lecture on:
5 Essentials A Growing Coffee Roaster Needs
Friday, April 25, 2025
10:15am - 11:15am CST
Room 350DEF
To learn more about the lecture, head over here!