The Story
Devoción was founded by Colombian-born Steven Sutton in 2006 with a singular obsession: solving the problem of stale coffee. The Colombian always wondered why his homeland’s incredible beans tasted so different by the time they reached the US , and Steven got tired of drinking stale coffee and decided to fix the problem himself. Turns out, sitting in shipping containers for months doesn’t help.
The seed was planted and he launched Devoción in 2006 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. What began as a two-person business has grown into a 120-person team with locations in Williamsburg, Dumbo, Downtown Brooklyn, Flatiron and Midtown. The company now operates with operations in both Brooklyn and Colombia where they get coffee from over two thousand farmers.
Beyond coffee production, Devoción has become a B Corp certified company, which means that we are committed to the highest standards of social and environmental impact.
Sourcing & Relationships
Based at origin, they source directly from their producing partners across Colombia, buying only fresh coffee in active harvest.
They partner with over 1,000 independent Colombian coffee producers through a radically different approach that cuts out the middle men and started flying beans directly from Colombian farms to their Brooklyn roastery.
Devoción takes a different approach by only purchasing, transporting, and roasting coffees from regions that are currently in harvest.
When they use the phrase ‘Active Harvest’ to refer to the regions of their House Blends, they’re referring to Colombian growing regions that are currently harvesting coffee at the time of sourcing. Only buying coffee from farms located in active harvest regions, and never using warehoused beans or third-party importers, allows them to guarantee that 100% of their coffee are roasted while still fresh, 365 days a year.
The company has invested heavily in Colombian infrastructure. They dry mill the beans at their facility in Bogotá, and then fly them straight to their roastery in Brooklyn.
They’ve rolled out training programs for more than 150 producers, giving farmers tools to improve quality and negotiate better prices.
They also set up a Coffee Knowledge Center in Gachetá, Cundinamarca, where students can learn processing, roasting, and brewing — basically creating a pathway for the next generation of coffee professionals.
Roasting Philosophy
With a light-to-medium roast philosophy, Devoción favors clarity, acidity, and sweetness over heaviness or smokiness.
The philosophy here is simple yet revolutionary: roast daily, serve daily. While many coffee shops roast in larger batches to save costs, Devoción Coffee prioritizes freshness above all else.
Colombian-born Steven Sutton launched Devoción in 2006 to produce the freshest coffee imaginable — roasting provides only half of coffee’s flavor, while mere freshness of the beans does the rest of the work. And yet, most coffee beans sit around for months, losing flavor every day. Their approach completely inverts industry standards. They are the only company in the world that roasts true farm-fresh coffee only 10 days after leaving origin, lightyears quicker than the industry norm of 6-12 months.
Their state-of-the-art Diedrich roasters operate continuously, ensuring that the beans you enjoy in your cup or take home are often roasted within hours, not days or weeks. This commitment to immediate consumption after roasting is a game-changer for flavor, as coffee begins to lose its peak aromatic qualities shortly after roasting.
400 of coffee’s 1,000+ components directly contribute to the flavor and aroma profiles in brewed coffee. Their speed from origin to roast protects these elements from oxidation, which in turn keeps the flavor intact, making the natural notes that the coffee possesses easy to distinguish.
What to Try
Devoción offers signature profiles available year-round, with house blends including Toro (Cocoa, Vanilla, Cherry, Almond), Honey (Honey, Orange Blossom, Caramel & a hint of Eucalyptus), Wild Forest (Wild Berries, Cherry, Agraz [Andean Blueberry], Cocoa Butter, Caramel), El Sol (Peach, Caramel, Cinnamon), and Citrus (Orange Blossom, Mandarin Peel, Lemongrass, Lemon).
Toro is their signature house blend, with rich notes of nuts and cherry, and a dark chocolate finish.
The Honey House Blend is a washed-process, light roast coffee featuring a distinctly sweet and syrupy body. Its most prominent flavor notes include honey, orange blossom, caramel, and a subtle hint of eucalyptus.
Wild Forest is a balanced, berry-forward blend of 100% Colombian coffee with notes of tart berries, caramelized sugars, and a cocoa butter mouthfeel.
Stop by for a cup of farm-fresh direct trade coffee, whether it be one of their House Blends, available year-round sourced from farms around Colombia in active harvest, guaranteeing the freshest coffee even before roasting; or try something new with one of their Limited Edition coffees, single-estate, microlot coffees highlighting unique varietals and processing techniques.
For the curious: watch the Limited Edition / Microlot section — those are the small batches where Devoción experiments with processing methods.
Highlights include the exquisite nitro cold brew, which has become a fan favorite for those seeking a refreshing twist on classic coffee.