FAQs
Returns
What if there’s something wrong with my coffee? Can I return it?
Generally, we don’t take returns due to its perishable nature. But we want you to be happy, so on a case-by-case basis, we’ll replace anything wrong. Email info@drinkpedestrian.com and tell us about the issue you’re encountering, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
We are happy to replace any items damaged in transit.
We typically ask for a photo of the damage in case there is a trend in breakage. Please let us know the original order number and the best address for the return shipment.
General
Do you have any store locations I can visit?
We do have a handful of stores in Chicago, including locations in Lakeview East, Logan Square and Andersonville (The Coffee Studio). Your best bet is to do a google map search for our stores and to see and get directions to exactly where they are.
Where’s the name Pedestrian come from?
We chose the name Pedestrian for two reasons: First and foremost, pedestrian is a term used to describe your everyday person who is journeying from one place to the next, usually by foot. In all that we do, we want to connect with that everyday person and keep them in mind.
The second reason we chose the name Pedestrian is somewhat tongue in cheek. The term pedestrian can also mean “ordinary” or “commonplace.” While we certainly don’t view the quality of our coffee in that light, we do want to acknowledge that higher-end coffee can have a tendency to come off as, well, snobby. Our goal here is to gently mock that tendency and instead take a more basic approach to delivering an exceptional cup of coffee.
About Our Coffee
How fresh is your coffee?
Freshness is absolutely key. That’s why Pedestrian goes to great lengths to ensure that your coffee — whether served in a café or delivered to your home — is as fresh as it can possibly be. We roast and ship out our coffee fresh every Monday.
Where does your coffee come from?
We source our coffee directly from farms we have ongoing relationships with — which means we can confidently say that the coffee is of great quality, and the people who produce it are treated as equals. We’re continually looking to expand our base of relationships with coffee growers around the world. In cases in which we haven’t been to the farm ourselves, we have sourcing partners who maintain the same baseline standards as us.
How much money do your farmers get?
On average, we pay 2.5 times the Fair Trade price directly to the farmer. We have never paid — and never will pay — below the Fair Trade rate for coffee. Simply put, it’s not enough. This ensures that coffee is a viable livelihood for coffee growers and their children — many of whom are the future coffee growers of the world. We want them to believe that sticking with coffee pays off, because if they don’t, the future of quality coffee will be at risk.
Are your coffees certified Fair Trade?
In most cases, they are not. The Fair Trade classification was designed to meet the needs of producer cooperatives, not quality-focused individual farms. As a result, many of the producers we work with don’t qualify to participate in Fair Trade certification. That being said, on average we pay 2.5 times the Fair Trade price directly to the farmer, and we have never paid — and never will pay — below the Fair Trade rate for coffee.
Are your coffees organic?
Yes and no. While most of the coffees we purchase are produced organically, the cost of getting certified is prohibitive for the size of farms we usually work with.
Where do you roast your coffee?
All of our coffee is roasted at our Fullerton Avenue facility in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, IL.
What roasts do you offer?
Each variety of coffee requires its own particular roast profile to showcase it at its best. Accordingly, we roast every batch of beans in order to highlight the particular flavors each coffee has to offer. Our experience has been that the majority of coffees display the most interesting flavors with a medium-to-light roast range — so that’s how we roast them.
Do you add flavoring to your coffee?
While we encourage you to add whatever flavors you’d like to your brewed coffee, we intentionally avoid adding any chemical flavoring to our beans to ensure you get the best possible coffee you can.
Subscriptions
How fresh is the subscription coffee?
We believe that freshness is absolutely vital when it comes to delicious coffee. That’s why we ship our coffee the next day it’s roasted — so the coffee you receive is as fresh as possible. We roast and ship out coffees fresh every Monday.
I live on a small island in the middle of the ocean, and there is no coffee here. Do you ship internationally?
We’re sorry to say you’re going to have to figure out a way to roast coconuts or whatever’s on hand, because we currently do not ship internationally.