Mountanos Family Coffee & Tea Co.

In the Mountanos family, coffee is more than a morning ritual; it’s a legacy and a tradition—five generations strong. In 1898, Stratis Mountanos and his brother Richard left their home in Greece to make a new life in America, they took with them little more than a steadfast work ethic and a penchant for great coffee. It didn’t take long before the duo developed a devoted following in a post-Gold Rush San Francisco, California, selling roasted chestnuts, coffee beans, and spices from a mule-drawn wagon. It was their beans that became the highly sought-after product synonymous with the Mountanos name. Inspired by their success, my Great Uncle Richard decided to bring the roasts all the way to the nation’s capitol. And despite a movement to keep the “undignified” cart and donkey off The Hill, one famous customer put his foot down: “As long as I’m in office,” said Franklin D. Roosevelt, “the Greek on the corner stays!” Five generations later, you could say that Greek on the corner is still selling coffee. We remain a family-owned and operated business. We still source, roast, and pack our own beans, handpicked from the world’s premier coffee-growing regions—from farmers we know personally. With a century of experience behind us, we’ve refined and perfected a roasting technique that honors every bean and its unique flavor. And over the years, this family of coffee-lovers has discovered a deep appreciation for tea, too. It’s an honor and a privilege to share such a treasured family legacy with you.