The name Espresso Royale came from the desire to include the main product in the name, and from a cool restaurant in Berkeley called Café Royale that housed a toaster museum. 
The first Espresso Royale was opened in 1987 and more sprung up across the country in college towns such as Urbana, East Lansing, Minneapolis, Madison, Ann Arbor, and Athens.

The Espresso Royale house blend was formulated in 1987 and was designed for drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes with its full body, color, and flavor.

Espresso Royale is dedicated to making coffeehouses fun and the coffee great!

Dedicated to a Great Cup of Coffee

Our main goal, above all else, has always been to offer up the best-tasting coffee. We work hard to procure our beans from farmers who grow their high-quality crops without pesticides and insecticides. Our house blend was developed in the same year we opened our doors, and we wanted it to be perfect for full-bodied drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. It was a huge success, and we still offer the very same recipe in all of our physical locations and it can be purchased online as part of our wholesale coffee beans selection.

The history of Espresso Royale dates back to the coffeehouses of North Beach, San Francisco and the early coffeehouses of Berkeley. The emphasis on great coffee and the ambiance of espresso bars in the early 80's was the catalyst for the style and traditions of Espresso Royale. The early influences go back to Café Roma, Caffe Trieste, and "The Med" on University Ave in Berkeley. The glassware, recipes, roasts, and café design all descend from those early days.

Espresso Royale has always been known for its friendly staff, unmatched drink quality and a service style that is casual and welcoming. That friendliness comes from a heartfelt philosophy. Not a corporate slogan, but  a people driven philosophy.

These days, customers are a part of designing cafes, products and new directions. "We don't tell people what they will like, we listen to them," says Marcus Goller, the company's founder. “Each Espresso Royale Café, as well as the drinks we serve, are a reflection of our customers."

The Science behind the Brew

While we believe that a great cup of coffee must start with a great coffee bean, we also know that the temperature of the water and the speed at which the coffee brews plays an important part in the end product. Because of this, we have invested our time into experimenting with different types of beans, blends and brewing techniques until we created the perfect combination. When you buy coffee online from Espresso Royale, you can rest assured that it was designed to taste just as amazing from your Keurig machine or in any standard coffee, espresso, or cappuccino maker.

While the goal in the beginning was to bring customers into our coffee shop with a fantastic cup of coffee, these days, the customers have a say in what we offer. We don’t simply offer things to the public; we let the public tell us what they want – and then we work to provide it to them in a friendly, non-corporate atmosphere that always makes them feel right at home.