Reimagining Your Morning Coffee With Sumato
Ben is the Founder and Owner of Sumato Coffee Company, a local enterprise supplying businesses around the USA with the finest coffee beans to create an exceptionally high-quality brew. His deep appreciation for coffee stems from his memories of being 6-years-old, sipping from his mug of warm milk, with just a splash of coffee, alongside his grandpa. His tastes have since evolved from drip coffee to a fresh pour-over approach, but his fondness and heartfelt appreciation remain unwavering.
Initially drawn in by the smell and communal element that a good cup of joe seems to inspire, Ben had the opportunity to dive headfirst into learning about bean sourcing and the art of roasting while working at a local Utah technology company. The company that he was working for often hosted guests from around the world, particularly from various Asian countries. If you are unfamiliar with the culture in this part of the world, rituals play a large role. Throughout the past decade, Japan has seemingly abandoned tea ceremonies and has fully embraced the more modern coffee ceremonies. These ceremonies require years of practice, precision, and impeccable attention to detail. This intentional approach ultimately inspired the name and approach to Ben’s entrepreneurial endeavor.
Throughout his educational journey, Ben has identified the most important factors to a great cup of coffee: freshly roasted beans, grinding the beans immediately before brewing, high-quality water, and the perfect water temperature. With these priorities in mind, Sumato is dedicated to shipping their coffee on the same day that it is roasted to ensure that his customers receive the freshest beans for an unbeatable taste.
Being a local startup in Utah, we wanted to know Ben’s thoughts on the entrepreneurial landscape here. The first thing that he mentioned was the supportive culture amongst small business owners. My Local Utah has experienced this first hand, especially since supporting local is at the core of all we do. Sumato has done their best to thank the community for their encouragement by hiring those that have been laid off during COVID for contract work. In addition to the overwhelming sense of support, Ben mentioned the government backing for small businesses, the tax structure, the affordable cost of living, and also the overwhelming sense of pride amongst entrepreneurs throughout the state.
To wrap things up, we asked Ben what his best advice for anyone who wants to give their business idea a real shot. His first piece of advice was that it’s never too late to start. There will always be a reason why the timing doesn’t seem right, figure out how to tackle that hurdle head-on and just start. Ben suggests getting really clear on what you want to achieve. Set daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals to provide small victories along the way and to keep you on track. Lastly, Ben advises that you go in knowing that it will always take longer than you anticipated. Stick with it and see where things go!
If you or anyone you know is starting a business venture, we would love to show our support! Send a message to My Local Utah with all of the details today. In the meantime, support local by spoiling your employees with some of the best coffee around from Sumato! You can easily set up a recurring subscription to make sure that you never run out again. You don’t have to settle for subpar office coffee anymore!