The Story
Prodigal Coffee emerged from the partnership between two industry veterans: coffee consultant and author Scott Rao and chef-turned-roaster Mark Benedetto, who met at the SCA Expo in 2017 . Scott Rao brought three decades of experience as a cafe owner, roaster, consultant, and author, with his influential books “The Coffee Roaster’s Companion” and “Coffee Roasting: Best Practices” shaping global roasting vocabulary . Mark Benedetto is a trained chef who transitioned to coffee roasting, passing the Q-Grader exam and founding Last Stand Coffee in San Francisco in 2017, specializing in roasting for SF tech offices .
After their initial meeting, Mark hired Scott as a consultant for his San Francisco roasting business, leading to a daily friendship centered around coffee discussions, ultimately culminating in their decision to launch Prodigal Coffee together in Boulder, Colorado in 2021 . The partnership represents a convergence of theoretical expertise and practical roasting experience, with Scott’s consulting background complementing Mark’s hands-on cafe and roasting operations.
Sourcing & Relationships
Prodigal’s sourcing philosophy centers on blind cupping evaluation, purchasing only lots scoring above 87.5 points, and paying some of the highest average green prices in the world to respect their suppliers’ work . The company roasts weekly on Mondays and aims to add at least one new coffee every week, selling only coffee they personally love to drink and are proud to share . Their focus spans multiple origins, with particular attention to Colombian producers offering innovative processing techniques.
Current offerings showcase their diverse sourcing relationships, featuring producers like Finca La Pradera (Colombia Geisha), Finca Las Palmas (Colombia Anaerobic Bourbon), and Kaliluni AA (Kenya), alongside Cup of Excellence winners from Peru . Their commitment to paying premium prices reflects a sourcing philosophy that prioritizes long-term relationships and quality over cost optimization . The roastery emphasizes transparency in origin information while maintaining rigorous standards for both green coffee acquisition and supplier relationships.
Roasting Philosophy
Prodigal aims to provide beautiful, clean, light roasts with impeccable consistency, distinguishing themselves through strict quality control processes that set them apart from other light roasters . All roasts must meet tight weight loss and color targets, pass through an optical sorter to remove immature beans, and undergo blind tasting of every batch to ensure high standards . Their specialty lies in light roasts that taste great fresh but notably improve after resting for several weeks .
The roasting approach reflects Scott Rao’s systematic methodology combined with Mark’s culinary sensibility. Scott Rao is known for his systematic and detailed approach to coffee roasting, with methods and techniques backed by years of research and practice . They operate with a German Probat roasting machine from 1956, an icon in the field . Their quality control extends beyond roasting to include post-roast optical sorting, ensuring consistency that validates their premium positioning in the specialty coffee market.
What to Try
The Kenya Krush blend represents their signature approach, balancing clean, plump washed Kenyan flavors with softer washed Colombian and a hint of natural Ethiopian, creating depth, juiciness, and beautiful citrusy, tropical fruit layers . Their rotating single-origin offerings include standouts like Colombia Finca La Pradera Geisha (blueberry, plum jam, floral), Peru COE La Rinconada Geisha (apricot, orange, vanilla), and Kenya Kaliluni AA (peach, apricot, berries) .
Prodigal crafts blends exclusively from fresh coffees, avoiding the industry standard of unchanging combinations purchased in large quantities for consistency . Their Boulder Blend and Milk Blend Espresso serve as accessible entry points, while their Cup of Excellence offerings and rare varietals like Sidra and Pink Bourbon showcase their commitment to exceptional lots. First batches that don’t meet their standards are offered as bargains, while customers can choose between upcoming roasts or immediately available “rested” coffees from prior roast dates .
Note: While the user requested information about a Prodigal roaster in Tacoma, the comprehensive search results indicate this Prodigal Coffee is based in Boulder, Colorado. No specialty coffee roaster named Prodigal was found operating in Tacoma, Washington.