Sisters Coffee is celebrating 35 years in business

Thirty-five years after its founding in a small wooden cabin on Hood Avenue, Sisters Coffee Company is celebrating its anniversary with a brand refresh and free bags of coffee for customers who buy drinks in its cafes Friday, September 6. The new branding comes as the company shifts to new recycled packaging for its coffee beans.

"It's hard to believe that it's been 35 years since our parents launched Sisters Coffee Company and made their dream of starting their own coffee roasting company in Central Oregon a reality," said Justin Durham, president of Sisters Coffee Company, who owns and runs the company with his brother, Jared Durham, and sister, Jesse Durham. "We're so happy to honor that legacy, while also keeping Sisters Coffee Company fresh and vibrant for the future."

The Sisters Coffee Co. story is a classic tale of pioneering and entrepreneurship. Joy and Winfield Durham moved their family from Sitka, Alaska, to Sisters in April 1988. They began renting the little shop on Hood Avenue in January of 1989. Justin Durham notes that they "did the hard work of carving out a life in a small town," embarking on an endeavor that "no one thought would last through the winter."

Justin said that his parents got a couple of things right in the late 1980s - that specialty coffee was a coming thing, and that Sisters would support it. And they had other important ingredients for success.

"They always had a gift just of hospitality and work ethic," he said. "Mom had the hospitality and Dad had the work ethic. They were a great team that way. It resonated with the town...and it proved long-term to be incredibly viable."

So viable that Sisters Coffee has built a thriving wholesale business and opened other locations, including in the Pearl District in Portland and at the Old Mill in Bend.

"The durability of work ethic and hospitality - those things are always in demand," Justin said.

The eldest Durham son also noted that success has been built on family and employee commitment and dedication. His wife Leigh-Anne managed the café, and "Transformed it from the 'shed' to the landmark it's become." Her commitment to the family business was "an incredible blessing at a key time," Justin reflected.

"Jared and Jesse are incredibly skilled and hard-working," he said. "It takes a team, it takes a family, and it takes a supportive community, and that's what Sisters has always been."

To celebrate the 35-year milestone and the introduction of its refreshed brand, Sisters Coffee Company will be giving away a free 12-ounce bag of its Black Butte Gold whole bean coffee with any drink purchase in its cafes in Sisters, Bend, and Portland on Friday, Sept. 6, while supplies last. Featuring coffees from Brazil, Papua New Guinea, and Colombia, Black Butte Gold is a classic dark roast Sisters Coffee Company blend created by the founders 35 years ago.

"We really just want to celebrate the longevity of Sisters Coffee Company while also saying thank you to our customers, who have always been a big part of our story," said Jesse Durham, Chief Strategy Officer for Sisters Coffee Company. "And the rebrand is something that we've been meaning to do for a while to help elevate and bring consistency to the brand. My brothers and I are all really proud of the way everything has come together. We're so thankful for the past 35 years and so excited about what's ahead for Sisters Coffee Company."