When we started Kenmore Coffee in July 2020, one of our main goals was to be the source of high-quality, fresh-roasted coffee to our friends and neighbors of Kenmore. We achieved that goal and have some very loyal fans to show for it. With that in mind, we knew the next step would take one of two forms: establish a physical location or invest all of our resources in product accessibility through e-commerce.
The pandemic did a pretty good job of focusing on the latter, which got us thinking about the next step. There was only ever going to be so much marketing and advertising we could do to the fine folks of Kenmore before they're tired of hearing from us, and we always wanted to expand our reach and tell the rest of the world about the fantastic coffee that started in Kenmore.
This brings me to our first major announcement: Kenmore Coffee Company will soon become Seaplane Coffee.
We feel renaming Seaplane Coffee allows us to do a couple of things. First and foremost, we're retaining the association with Kenmore, where the company was founded and the area that inspired our selection of coffee blends. Second, the brand will allow us to build a following in other areas of Puget Sound and across the country and be able to share what we've created.
It'll take a few months for things to start changing over. With that in mind, let's go over some of what is changing and what's not.
Common Questions
Does anything change today? Nope. We're still changing everything over, so nothing is different as things stand now. Over the coming months, you'll see new branding in places, and eventually, the packaging you're used to seeing will change.
Will kenmorecoffee.com go away? Not strictly speaking. The branding will also change, and the URL will change, but the site, your account, and your order history will remain intact. Order numbers will eventually shift to reflect the changes.
Will my favorite coffee go away? That'll depend. Our blends are here to stay, for sure. Our single-origin offerings are more affected by availability and shortages across the industry. Still, we're doing everything we can to keep what we have in stock and find alternatives from the same regions that are just as tasty and reasonably priced.
Will prices change? Speaking of pricing... maybe. The spot price of coffee has more than doubled over the last couple of years, which affects the price of coffee contracts. We've done all we can to ensure the price you pay doesn't double, too, and have been successful. With that said, I would expect $1 or $2 increases on some of our options. We're looking at new regional offerings at a lower price and still maintain high quality to help offset that. The last thing we want is to be yet another $20+ coffee vendor.
If you maintain an active subscription today, the price will stay the same for you as long as it remains active. In other words, if you're paying the discounted subscriber price, you'll keep paying that price forever until the subscription is canceled.
Are shipping prices going up? All the time, but we've absorbed those, too, and plan on doing so as much as we can.
Will the rewards program change? Potentially. There'll be more to share about that as we get closer to the changeover.
Are you getting rid of any of the bag sizes? Post changeover, we're eliminating one size: the 2 LB. For those who currently receive 2 LB bags via subscription, we'll work out the equivalent in 12oz, so you're getting (as close to) the same amount of coffee for the same price.
When will we see coffee from ___ region? We plan to introduce at least three coffees over the next year, though we don't have much to say about it. We also want to bring back Kona for a limited run this year.
How will this affect the sampler packs? After the change, our sampler pack will become a choose-your-own-adventure of three 4oz packages, rather than the smaller 2oz options. Pricing is TBD.
I have a question that I don't see here. Hit reply and let us know!
That's all we have to share for now! Be on the lookout for more in the next month or so.