Foxtrot, Connect Roasters team up to fight hunger

A new partnership between Foxtrot and a Chicagoland coffee company is assisting organizations providing food and other essential services during COVID-19. 

All eight Foxtrot upscale convenience stores now carry 12-ounce retail bags of Quarantine Coffee, a blend developed by Bourbonnais-based Connect Roasters. A portion of each sale of the coffee benefits the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Save the Children, an organization that provides food and educational resources to children in rural communities.

Quarantine Coffee is also available as a $4.25 pour-over option at each of the Foxtrot stores, and the Streeterville location offers an additional espresso version for $3. Bags of the coffee are priced at $15 apiece.

Cubs' Ian Happ is 'a coffee guy'

The Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ is also a partner in the Quarantine Coffee project. Caleb Benoit, founder of Connect Roasters, said he first connected with Happ over social media, and the second baseman came up with the idea to use the coffee to support COVID-19 relief efforts.

"He's a big coffee guy and particular about what he drinks," Benoit said. "He also has a strong desire to give back to the community and make a difference off the field. Obviously, coffee is what we do, and giving back is part of the foundation of our company, so we’re both pointed in the same direction.”  

Through July, Quarantine Coffee sales have funded 6,574 meals at the Greater Chicago Food Depository and contributed $2,191 to Save the Children.

Helping the Greater Chicago Food Depository

Spencer Young, Foxtrot's general manager of the coffee program, said there were a "multitude of factors" that led to the partnership between Foxtrot and Connect Roasters, but most notably, helping the Greater Chicago Food Depository was a shared cause for the two companies — through part of March and April, Foxtrot donated the delivery fees for each online order to the organization. 

"Beyond the philanthropic donations, it’s also just an incredible coffee," Young added. "A perfect representation of a Guatemalan coffee — rich, well balanced, and very versatile. We are looking forward to future projects with them."

Benoit said Connect Roasters was "thrilled" about the arrangement. 

"Foxtrot partners with local coffee roasters who care about excellence in production and sourcing practices," Benoit said. "They are also supporters of local organizations like the [Greater Chicago Food Depository] so it seems like a natural fit."

Made in Guatemala

Quarantine Coffee is produced in the Acatenango region of Guatemala. Benoit said the company wanted to showcase a Guatemalan coffee to highlight the country's "approachable, delicious coffees," and the coffee is also a nod to Connect Roasters' on-the-ground connections with Guatemala—the company sells a Guatemala El Faro blend that benefits Mision El Faro, a nonprofit focused on health and education services.

Benoit launched Connect Roasters four years ago after embarking on several life-changing mission trips to the Dominican Republic. 

"It was my first time seeing extreme poverty, a very tangible problem, and we’re building Connect to be part of the solution," he said. "A portion of the sales from our coffees support community development in countries we source coffee from."

Young said Foxtrot is always looking for new partnerships and projects to aid the community, and the coffee sold at the company is sourced from local businesses. Foxtrot's primary coffee provider is Metric Coffee Roasters, a roaster operated in the West Fulton Market neighborhood, and Foxtrot also carries Four Letter Word, another Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster. 

"(They put) exceptional effort into both quality of roasting as well as their coffee sourcing practices," Young said of Metric Coffee Roasters. "They have been an incredible partner as we have grown and expanded here in the city."