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Four Barrel Coffee

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Four Barrel Coffee
IndustryCoffee
Founded2008; 16 years ago (2008)
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California
Number of locations
2
Websitefourbarrelcoffee.com

Four Barrel Coffee is a coffee roaster based in San Francisco, California, with two cafes in San Francisco.[1][2] Like competitors Ritual Coffee Roasters and Blue Bottle, Four Barrel is among local, independent companies which roast their own beans, wholesale, and operate cafes.[3] Unique among local coffeeshops, Four Barrel does not provide free Wi-Fi or power for laptops.[4] Four Barrel opened in 2008 and was started by one of the founders of Ritual,[5] with its first location in the Mission District.[6] In April 2017, Benny Gold collaborated with Four Barrel Coffee to offer, limited edition commemorative product.[7]

In January 2018 eight former employees filed suit against Four Barrel and its founder Jeremy Tooker, alleging that he sexually assaulted multiple women and created a toxic workplace culture for non male employees.[8] The company settled the lawsuit out of court and Tooker left the company and divested his shares in it. The remaining owners were reportedly planning to rebuild the company with a 100% employee owned model.[9] Multiple companies have ceased to carry Four Barrel product in the wake of the suit.[10] As of seven months later the company has not made a transition to being worker owned and "will not for the foreseeable future," according to co-owners Tal Mor and Jodi Geren. They cite a lack of profitability and have pledged to begin profit sharing with employees by the end of the year, should the business stabilize. [11]

References

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  1. ^ "Four Barrel Coffee Expands Again, to Portola", Grub Street, September 5, 2012
  2. ^ "A new San Francisco cafe serving black toast, and other Bay Area restaurant openings", SFGATE, July 2, 2021
  3. ^ "Blue Bottle Cashes in on Coffee Authenticity", Wired.com, October 16, 2012
  4. ^ "Coffee shops are taking Wi-Fi off the menu", LA Times, August 8, 2010
  5. ^ "Small Bay Area Coffee Roasters Spread Out", The New York Times, April 4, 2010
  6. ^ "How an Obsession with Coffee Built a Four Barrel Success", missionlocal.org, August 30, 2010
  7. ^ "Benny Gold Launches Limited Edition Coffee | Highsnobiety". Highsnobiety. 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  8. ^ "Four Barrel Coffee founder Jeremy Tooker accused of sexual assault and harassment", San Francisco Chronicle, January 5, 2018
  9. ^ "Four Barrel Coffee Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Out of Court", Eater San Francisco, January 16, 2018
  10. ^ "Sexual Harassment At Four Barrel Coffee: What Happened, And What Happens Next", Sprudge, January 17, 2018
  11. ^ "San Francisco's Four Barrel Hasn't Handed the Company Over to Employees", Eater, August 17, 2018
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