Superbloom Strives for Environmentally Conscious Coffee

By April VeVea

Holly and Spenser Snow Canada may have coffee running through their veins. In fact, one of their first dates, recalls Holly, centered around the “best coffee I’ve ever had.” Spenser worked as a barista and roaster in Sacramento, and after that first delicious cup, Holly “changed how I thought about and appreciated coffee.” The couple considers “coffee a staple of our relationship. It’s a way for us to slow down, enjoy the moment and spend time together. When we travel, we always like exploring local coffee shops.” After discussing plans to start a business to share their beloved beverage with others, as well as making provisions focused on giving back to their local desert community, the Snow Canadas founded Superbloom Coffee in 2019. Instead of a focal point relying on profit margins, Holly explains, “We formed our company as a Benefit LLC, making a commitment to balance people, planet, and profit. Our mission is to benefit the desert and all its inhabitants.”

Environmentally, Superbloom uses renewable bags, rubber stamps to adhere information directly onto the coffee bag, and recyclable, reusable packaging materials, as well as developing cleaning procedures compatible with eco-friendly products, selecting a decaf coffee made without the use of chemicals and finding importers who hold similar values as the couple, “like treating farmers fairly and respecting the environment,” adds Holly. The most difficult environmental decision? A wry smile comes across Holly’s face as she tells me:

“The coffee bags are a pain point for me, because we are producing a product that has an impact on the environment. I’ve spent hours considering different coffee packaging options and haven’t found a perfect solution, so we try to minimize our footprint and make packaging decisions by weighing the effects of each choice on people, planet and profit. For example, 100% compostable coffee bags with degassing valves are a recent development in the industry, but they are still very expensive per bag, and there is no commercial composting facility near St. George. Currently, we package our coffee in Biotre bags, which are 60% renewable/compostable, and we pay for a coffee bag recycling service which recycles, composts and repurposes the bag materials. We incentivize our customers to return bags back to us for recycling by offering a free bag of coffee in exchange for 10 of our used coffee bags."

Superbloom’s social advocacy can make anyone’s mouth drop--and their work environment sounds akin to the laid-back attitudes you may see at major Silicon Valley tech companies. To improve well-being in the workplace, Superbloom has regular meetings about labor division, mental health, and stress management and schedules daily self-care time. Holly says, “As humans, we make work such a big part of our lives, and for it to be sustainable, it’s important to spend time with yourself so you can keep contributing in a meaningful way. Superbloom’s primary goal, however, revolves around giving back to the “local desert” community. In 2019, the couple volunteered for 62 hours at places like Snow Canyon and Zion National Park, and,

Holly proudly adds, “donated proceeds to local conservation non-profits.” Holly passionately expands on their volunteer work, saying:

“Our focus is on local organizations that contribute in some way to the local desert environment. I’m a volunteer trail steward at Snow Canyon State Park and a Wilderness Steward for the Bureau of Land Management’s field office in St. George. I spend time hiking the local trails, take notes on what needs to be fixed and report to the land managers. I will also stop and fix anything I can in the moment, like securing a downed sign, blocking off paths people have created, picking up trash or graffiti removal.”

Finally, Superbloom looks at their economic impact: developing and testing each recipe, setting their own quality and freshness standards, and aiming for a quick shipping time between roasting and shipping. This isn’t your regular grocery store coffee, which may be on the shelf for several months after roasting, with Holly breaking down their process to me:

“When we purchase a new green coffee, we take time to develop a roasting recipe specifically for that coffee to bring out the natural flavors and aromas inherent in that coffee bean, because of how and where it was grown. Once satisfied with how the coffee tastes, we send it out to our customers. We roast in small batches, which enables us to maintain high quality and freshness standards.”

Atwood Innovation Plaza and Superbloom Coffee foster a mutually beneficial relationship. When asked how Innovation Plaza helps her business, Holly replies, “I’m connected to lots of resources, like business mentors, printing facilities and other entrepreneurs. I believe in supporting other people and that we all learn and grow together. The Innovation Plaza has also allowed us to rent commercial kitchen space without taking on the risk of a multi-year lease during COVID-19. It’s easier to focus on growing slowly and intentionally.”

For more information on Superbloom Coffee, and to order a bag, please visit superbloomcoffee.com. For more information on Innovation Plaza and how it might benefit your business, please contact us by visiting innovation.utahtech.edu/contact-us/