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In 1992 Paul E. Odom founded Fonté Coffee Roaster, just as the coffee boom was about to explode in Seattle, Washington. While specialty coffee was becoming more popular to consumers, Odom saw a void in the hospitality market for a high-end product, noticing a lag in exceptional quality and service to chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers. At age 22, Odom made it his mission to create the finest coffee and espresso blends in the world by setting the strictest standards in product development and delivery. He procured the best roasting and processing equipment, built a sales team with experience in premium coffee and established a business to service this untapped market.
Described by his peers as possessing a discriminating palette and a passion for the variety of rich flavors found in coffee, Odom partnered with master roaster Steve Smith to create the first of many high-quality specialty blends. Odom, along with Smith, a 25-year industry veteran with a coveted knowledge of the best sourcing regions in the world, developed a process where fresh coffee was shipped within 24 hours of roasting. Unheard of at the time, the roast-to-order program quickly established Fonté Coffee Roaster as one of the top coffee providers for the luxury hospitality market. In 1997, Odom also launched Fonté’s online business to service a rising demand for its coffee products in the consumer market.
Today, Odom oversees a rigorous daily roasting schedule, a sales force on both coasts and a quality control program that maintains the highest standards of service to its top-tiered clientele. Award-winning chefs, fine restaurants and five-star hotel properties including the Wynn Resort Las Vegas, Four Seasons and the Peninsula are clients and order Fonté’s specialty coffee and espresso blends each week. In addition to luxury hotel clients, Fonté Coffee is sold direct to consumers via www.fontecoffee.com and is also exported to coffee operators in Japan, Korea, Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Costa Rica.
Odom learned about the beverage industry through the Odom Corporation, founded by his father Milt Odom in 1929. Most prominently known for its Coca-Cola franchise and bottling company, the Odom Corporation is famous in the industry for being the first bottling company to put Coca-Cola in a can. Today, Odom applies this history of leadership and innovation to the coffee market, bringing Fonté’s specialty blends to coffee lovers and food aficionados around the world.
PR Contacts: Christina Cox
Direct: 206-375-8598
Email: christina@coxpublicrelations.com
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