Dillanos Coffee Roasters
A passion for entrepreneurship and a drive for success, David J. Morris set out on a venture and founded Dillanos Coffee Roasters. Dillanos, named after his oldest son Dillon, opened as an espresso cart in 1992 in front of the well-known Sunshine Mart, a convenience store located in Buckley, Washington. The Sunshine Mart, which still stands today, was owned, and operated by Howard Heyer, David’s stepfather. Howard, or Howie as many called him, took a chance with David and his coffee cart and the two developed a business partnership. The cart was fueled by David’s enthusiasm, Howard’s business background, and a sincere desire to offer great coffee and great service. The following year they set out and opened two more retail locations and would begin to make decisions that would shape the business for years to come.
In 1994, David’s brother, Chris Heyer, joined the family business at the age of 19 and bought into the company as a third owner. Chris had worked as an experienced barista at a coffee cart outside of a local grocery store. Together they kicked off Dillanos Coffee Roasters as a wholesale coffee roasting operation. It wasn’t long before the brothers were soaking up information from coffee professionals throughout the country. They learned from the ground up what it takes to source high-quality green coffee, perfect nuanced roast profiles, and create balanced, smooth-tasting blends.
They were passionate about the artistry of bringing out a coffee’s inherent character with just a small nudge of time and temperature. They soon sold the retail stores and put all their energy into wholesale roasting at a new location in Sumner, Washington. As the family business continued to expand, Dillanos Coffee Roasters grew from a tiny three-person outfit to a nationally recognized roaster with more than 1,500 wholesale locations serving Dillanos Coffee across the country.
Today, Dillanos Coffee Roasters employs more than 90 enthusiastic staff members and roasts for some of the country’s most recognized specialty coffee brands.