As patrons at Black Ring order their drinks, a sign behind the counter with their slogan stares back at them — “Coffee for the Proletariat.”
Black Ring Coffee Roasters’ mission boasts a focus on “labor, quality of life and sustainable practices.”
The North Long Beach shop relies on ethical sourcing for their coffee beans that come from places like Colombia, Ethiopia and Burundi.
“A lot of times [coffee farmers] work for very low wages,” owner Juliette Simpkins said. “We have partnered with importers that find farms that they can invest in.”
The importers that Black Ring partners with invest in infrastructure and in some instances have built schools for the children of farmers in places like Colombia and El Salvador.
Black Ring’s mission statement outlined its primary goal— to forge “lasting partnerships with farmers and mill workers.” Their longest-standing relationship is with mill Loma La Gloria in El Salvador.
Located in La Libertad, farm owner Anny Ruth Pimentel pays workers fair wages, Simpkins noted.
“We realized that there are ways for us to source ethically, to behave responsibly and still give a great product,” Simpkins said. “And care about the people as well.”
And it was the people who led them to North Long Beach.
After three years of doing pop-ups and brewing from home with a cottage food license, Simpkins and her business partner Trevor Moisen opened the shop in 2017 after some members of the community asked them to consider the area.
“A lot of people said ‘Please, look in North Long Beach, there is nothing up here,’” the owner said. “We found North Long Beach to be a great community for us. Community is definitely the biggest part of it.”
Located in the Sutter neighborhood, Simpkins wanted the shop to be a walkable neighborhood coffee shop where “everyone feels [it’s] a safe place for them to gather.”
On the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 7, the shop was a revolving door of patrons who took in the aroma of fresh coffee.
As they waited, they were able to browse through a robust selection of potted plants from Hermanas Plants sitting on their wood counter or ones on a shelf by the window.
They could also browse through shelves of new and used records, which range from singer-songwriter M. Ward to country megastar Kenny Rogers.
It was the whirring of the coffee bean grinder however that made patrons perk up in anticipation as they awaited their morning elixir—more often than not it’s the Whiskey Vanilla Latte.
The shop’s most popular drink is made with espresso, Mexican Vanilla, bourbon extract (the alcohol is boiled out) and whole milk.
Those who take their drink to-go do so in a black compostable cup. This falls in line with the shop’s sustainable practices.
“We have made a very big effort to make sure that we’re a green business,” Simpkins said.
Black Ring has been certified by Long Beach as a green business and is part of a composting program with the City.
Additionally, the shop tries to work with farms that use environmentally friendly practices.
Juliette Simpkins holds the custom-made roast sampler made from recycled skateboards by local artist Justin LaRose (@epiclyajustin on Instagram) on Sept. 7, 2021. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune) 
Along with coffee, customers at Black Ring Coffee Roasters can also browse a collection of vinyl records, plants from local growers, and art from local artists for sale along the shop’s walls. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
“I think the community appreciates that we’re here,” Simpkins said. “We’re trying to offer them something that they haven’t received before.”
This was appreciated through COVID-19 closures when patrons rallied around Black Ring.
“We had people who live in the area who said ‘Usually I go to Starbucks for my coffee but they don’t need my money the small businesses do,’” Simpkins said. Some of those patrons became regulars.
At the core of each of those interactions was Black Ring’s mission: to brighten the lives of those partaking in the coffee experience—from the drinker to the farmer.
“Your morning cup of coffee is the end result of an impossible journey,” Black Ring’s mission said referring to the hard work of farmers. “Our aim is to elevate the well-being of every person who joins us on it.”
Black Ring Coffee Roasters is located at 5373 Long Beach Blvd. Its weekday hours are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To stay up to date with Black Ring follow them on Instagram @black_ring_coffee
