Todd Pearson owns what may be the fastest growing business in Oxford County. Kintore Coffee has gone from a hobby into a major player in the Ontario coffee scene in just a few years, despite having no intention of making a living off java.
“I started off roasting beans in the barn and sharing it with friends and family to see how they liked it. I never thought I would ever open a coffee business, but I always loved a nice coffee and I travelled around when I was younger and drank some great coffee around the world.” Todd used to do a lot of wood working and his mom had a booth at the local church, and he thought he would sell his coffee right after he came up with one of his blends. “It sold right away and a few of the people who bought it messaged me on Facebook saying they loved the coffee; is there any way I could get more?”
Todd then decided to talk to some local stores, including Sassy’s in Thorndale, about carrying the product and they did. It was at that point he decided to make Kintore Coffee a full-time job. He has been a farmer most of his life and did a bit of construction. “I received an agriculture degree from Ridgetown College/University of Guelph and came back to run the family farm, located near Kintore, for about a decade. I also worked in a maintenance and firefighting role at the London International Airport for four years.”
Kintore Coffee is available in about 200 stores across Ontario now, all the way from Sault Ste. Marie down to Lake Erie. Todd said he is looking to grow the business even more and has added a new product line. “We launched our cold brew in cans this year and we really want to grow that in addition to the coffee line’s continued success. We are in just about every Loblaws store now and are trying to get into Fortinos. Getting the cold brew into grocery stores is the next goal.”
Like many other Oxford County businesses, Todd carries several local products at the café in Embro. “That has been a big thing over the last year and a half. The focus has changed from every other business is your competitor to everybody helps everybody else. Look at Bear and Fox Apparel, another Oxford County small business. The owner asked for a spot in my store I gladly said yes. They get the storefront they wouldn’t have otherwise, and I benefit through her huge social media following.”
One could say the growth of Kintore Coffee has been somewhat of an overnight success. Todd said it’s been a heck of a year. “We went from a few dozen stores to a few hundred in a couple of months. It has been a lot of learning, a lot of figuring stuff out, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
To learn more about Kintore Coffee or make an order, go to https://kintorecoffee.com/.
