groundwork coffee company dates back to 1990, when richard karno decided to expand his rare book & café business by roasting his own coffee. the demand from local restaurants became so great, he began roasting around the clock. groundwork then went on to become one of the very first certified organic coffee roasters in southern california (as well as the largest organic coffee roaster in los angeles), while pioneering sustainable, relationship-based, and organic coffee sourcing.
coffee is one of the earth’s great resources. in dollars it’s the world’s second most traded commodity. when it comes to pesticides it’s the world’s third most sprayed crop -- that’s why we went organic.