Who is Saw-Dog Coffee?

In 2015 Mary had just given birth to our daughter Sawyer and we were finding ourselves feeling awful and helpless as we watched stories on the news of families fleeing Syria.  As much as the distance and complexity of the issues overwhelmed us we were compelled to act. 

A coffee roasting business had always been a dream of ours. We had been tinkering and roasting for ourselves and the idea of linking that dream to making a difference made perfect sense.  We began testing beans and roast profiles, sharing with our friends, getting feedback and researching.  Our daughter Sawyer offers no shortage of inspiration so we borrowed one of her nicknames for the business. We were stumped on a logo until our friend and amazing illustrator, Katie Vernon, created a hilariously perfect logo that we couldn’t resist. 

Our mission is to connect your love of coffee to doing some good in the world. We have committed to giving back every year.  Our first year we made a donation to the White Helmets in Syria.  Through our commitment to the Café Femenino Foundation and 1% for the planet will continue our efforts to give back to the community.  

We are grateful to everyone who has given us a try. If you haven’t tried our air roasted coffee yet, there is no time like to present to taste the difference! 

Knowing our love for coffee (especially then with a newborn) and how much we wanted to help Syrian refugees in a real, dedicated way, we began to research both. We discovered The White Helmets and quickly decided that a portion of our profits would be donated to them with every sale. What we didn’t realize was how many more people we could help by choosing the right sources for coffee.

 Through our sourcing research we discovered Cafe Feminino and 1% for the Planet. We also learned about compostable packaging, which we use, and how to utilize solar energy as part of the roasting process. All these social enterprises align with our personal values and immediately became cornerstones of our new business. What at first was a vision of family and friends buying our coffee to help The White Helmets became something bigger, better, and more robust—just like the coffee we love to make and drink. We invite you to enjoy a cup of Saw-Dog Coffee and know that it doesn’t just taste good, it does good.

We are pleased to announce our 2021 Café Femenino Commitment.

Saw-Dog Coffee Roasters will be funding nutrition and education services at three early education centers in Peru.  A portion of every bag of coffee sold will go towards funding this grant.  Direct donations from our coffee community are welcome as well.  If we surpass our goal, the additional funds will be used to fund these same programs in additional early education centers. Learn more about the education centers, the grant and donate here!

About Tom & Mary

Hailing from the Midwest, Tom and Mary moved to Vermont in 2003 and worked in higher education and nonprofit management respectively. The work Tom and Mary have done in the nonprofit sector informs much of how Saw-Dog approaches doing business. Through lots of trial and error and many nights roasting coffee in the garage with a single lightbulb overhead, Tom came up with something really special. These days, Tom keeps the coffee roasting, Mary keeps the logistics on track and Sawyer handles sweeping up the rogue beans that hit the roasting hut floor. It is a true family effort to bring you great coffee that does good.

“The Brazil roast is wonderful and the decaf is also great! I love being able to get high quality, great tasting coffee from a roaster that is literally within a short run of my place. The convenient drop off location at my gym is an extra perk. Highly recommend!”

— Casey B, So Burlington, VT