In one paragraph, how would you describe Novel to Trade customers?

Novel is a woman-owned business focused on relationships, community, and gender equity. We believe that every coffee tells a story, and we are committed to showcasing the hard work of everyone in the supply chain. Since 2013, we have focused on clean, consistent cups with the occasional touch of funk.

At Trade, we’re all about origin stories. How did Novel begin?

Novel was founded in 2013 by Kevin Betts and Ryan Smith with a half-pallet of green coffee and rented time on another company’s roaster. Current owner Katherine Morris purchased the company in 2023 with the intention of honoring the legacy of the original owners and adding her own touch.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to sourcing and roasting coffee?

We are very selective when we evaluate importers. Direct and long-standing relationships with producers is a must. We are committed to transparency and sustainability, and seek green coffee from producers who are paid fairly and supported through long-term investment.

We operate with an extremely narrow window of roast acceptability. If a batch falls outside our parameters, it’s held for cupping and evaluation. Even when a roast is within our parameters, we’ll cup, compare, and confirm. This rigor ensures our coffee performs the same every time.

Your visual identity really stands out. What inspired the branding and design behind Novel?

Our bags were illustrated by Loe Lee (@byloelee), a New York City-based artist and designer known for weaving whimsical, storybook scenes into everyday life, which felt like a perfect match for Novel. Our motto is 'Every coffee tells a story,' and we wanted packaging that allows you to feel immersed in the journey. Each element gives a nod to the people and places behind the coffee, so when you pick up a bag, you're holding a little piece of that story before you've even brewed a cup

We know relationships are at the heart of what you do. How does that show up in your daily operations or long-term mission? How does that manifest across different parts of the coffee industry (e.g. producers, other coffee professionals, your shops, and your local community)?

Relationships and sustainability are the heartbeat of what we do. Without the extremely hard work of our producers and importers, we don’t exist. We believe it’s our responsibility to showcase the hard work of everyone involved in the coffee supply chain and tell their story.

Long-term, we want to continue to work with the same producers year after year and help them reinvest in what they do to make them successful. Helping create a better community for them is just as important as the coffee.

Looking ahead, what’s exciting you most this year—new coffees, projects, collaborations, or goals?

We purchased two new Loring roasting machines! We’re excited to get them installed and running. Our current Giesen machine, Liam, has been great for us, but he’s ready to retire.

On that note, we’re also working on creating a co-roasting space for our community. We know how hard it can be to break into the roasting space, so we want to make our roastery a place for collaboration over competition, and allow anyone in our community to have access to roast their own coffee.

Founding Team Q&A

First, tell us a little about yourself—whatever you’d like to share.

Hi, I'm Katherine Morris! I have an obsession with data and spreadsheets, I drink my coffee black, and I unapologetically believe in the power of collaboration over competition. I began working in coffee in 2018 and fell in love with specialty coffee and the community it creates. In 2021, I got the chance to build my own little magical corner and opened Cherry Coffee Shop on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth, Texas. Then in 2023, another opportunity came along: acquiring Novel Coffee Roasters, a company I had long admired. I jumped at the chance to help carry its story forward.

When I'm not at the shop or the roastery, you can find me bopping around the neighborhood supporting locally owned businesses, or on a flight (or road trip) heading toward another adventure that will definitely involve coffee.

What are three things you love most about running a roasting business?

Collaboration over competition. Coffee is one of the rare industries where your "competitors" are also your friends. I've built connections throughout the entire supply chain, from producers, importers, fellow roasters, to café owners, and we genuinely show up for each other. We lend equipment when a machine goes down, share resources and hard-won knowledge, and offer a safe space to talk through the challenges of running a small business. That spirit is a big part of what we’re building at Novel: we'd rather open doors than guard them.

The people. From a farmer tending coffee shrubs on a hillside to the person savoring a cup in a café thousands of miles away, every coffee passes through dozens of hands, and every one of those people has a story worth sharing. Getting to be a thread in that connection, and to help tell those stories, is the most special part of this work.

The craft. There's always more to learn!  New coffees to discover, new methods, techniques, and philosophies to explore. I'm incredibly fortunate that "research" means drinking excellent coffee every single day.

We have to ask: how do you make coffee at home?

I'm typically brewing a pour over from a roaster I've brought home from recent travels. Right now I'm working my way through about fifteen bags I carried back from Japan. We also have a Breville on the counter, because my husband loves a shot of espresso in the morning, and I also love hosting friends for a slow coffee hang on the weekends.

For someone discovering Novel for the first time, which coffee would you recommend—and why?

I'd start with Rogue, our flagship espresso. It's the coffee that best captures what Novel is about. It has a ton of natural sweetness, full body, and a delicate acidity, which means we never have to roast it dark to make it work. The result is a cup that tastes like berry jam and melted chocolate with a clean, lasting finish.

What I love most about Rogue is its versatility: it's fantastic as espresso, but equally impressive on drip or pour over. However you brew at home, it meets you there. And because it's a blend we return to season after season, it's also a great example of how long-term relationships are at the heart of what we do.