About
At Common Grounds Ottawa (CGO), I believe great coffee isn’t just grown or roasted - it's shared. I founded CGO as a hybrid cooperative purchasing group and social enterprise to bring together local home roasters, craft tinkerers, and coffee lovers across our community. My goal is simple: to transform how specialty coffee is sourced, shared, and enjoyed right here in Ottawa.
Sourcing Together
High-quality green coffee shouldn't come with high-margin retail markups. Operating as a consumer collective, I pool our group's purchasing power during structured monthly buying windows to offer exceptional single-origin green coffee directly to Ottawa at wholesale rates ($/kg).
Through this social enterprise model, my focus remains 100% on community impact, supply chain transparency, and democratizing access to world-class coffee. Non-member retail purchases help directly subsidize our collective operations, keeping annual member access affordable and allowing everyone to roast better for less.
A Hands-On Community Hub
Common Grounds Ottawa is more than a source for raw beans; it’s a personal passion project and a gathering place for anyone curious about the craft. Beyond fulfilling monthly orders, I created CGO to build a local space where we can share roasting techniques, swap knowledge, and learn together. Whether you are roasting on a modified popcorn popper, a dedicated home machine, or sourcing for a small local business, I'm here to support your roasting journey.
Journey Beyond the Cup: Coffee & Eco-Travel
pictured Finca Rosa Blanca, Costa Rica
My passion for coffee extends directly to origin. The soils, microclimates, and farming communities where these beans are cultivated fascinate me. Beyond running CGO, I work as a specialized vacation consultant helping coffee enthusiasts explore the world at the source.
Whether you want to trek high-altitude fincas in Central America, tour historic coffee haciendas in South America, or pair luxury ocean cruising with curated eco-excursions and farm cuppings, I design custom travel itineraries that bring you face-to-face with global coffee culture.
Considering planning a getaway or origin trip - explore custom coffee and eco-travel itineraries here.
Why Now?
The home-roasting movement is booming. Today’s coffee drinkers want complete control over their roast profiles, authentic cost savings, and absolute clarity on where their beans originate. As supply chains grow complex and retail prices rise, this collective empowers us to buy ethically, roast with purpose, and support fair producer returns.
Whether you're perfecting your very first batch, seeking hard-to-find origins, or looking to plan a trip to coffee country, welcome to Common Grounds Ottawa—your local gateway to the global specialty coffee world.
Andrew Beattie
Founder
