How This Entrepreneur Is Brewing Success One Perfect Cup of Coffee at a Time

"Learn the vital business ingredients Steven Sutton, founder of Devoción, uses to run his company that aims to put happiness in every cup.

“Everything that has to do with coffee has to do with love.” So says Steven Sutton, founder of Devoción, a New York-based company whose cafes serve coffee from beans sourced in Colombia and roasted in Brooklyn. Steven built his company by skipping the middleman and working directly with coffee farmers in Colombia, formulating a unique fresh roasting process that wasn’t being done anywhere else.

With its operational and sales reach spanning across multiple continents, Devoción could not exist without connectivity. “Everything is done through the internet,” says Steven. “We have to communicate back home to Colombia every day to make sure that our farming activities and inventory are aligned without sales needs.”

Besides corporate communications, Steven notes that reliable Internet connections are vital to Devoción’s cafe customers. “Ninety-nine percent of our sales come through the tap of a credit card,” he explains. And his attention to detail goes beyond what’s in customers’ cups. Steven and his team have created inspiring spaces for their products to be enjoyed. “After they make their purchase, people want to sit and relax and stay connected,” he says of the artwork, furniture and technology that keep customers coming back for more."