Millstone Coffee
Product brand
UnclaimedMillstone Coffee was a United States coffee brand known for whole-bean and ground coffee sold through supermarkets, retail channels, and its own website.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
Millstone Coffee was a United States coffee brand established in Everett, Washington, in 1981 by Phil Johnson. The business began by selling 100-pound sacks of Arabica coffee beans to higher-end coffee shops in the greater Seattle area. Its early development was associated with the expansion of specialty coffee beyond cafés and into mainstream grocery retail. Millstone helped pioneer the sale of whole-bean coffee in supermarkets, at a time when packaged ground coffee dominated mass-market shelves. The company operated as a coffee roaster and packaged-coffee brand, offering whole-bean and ground coffee for retail customers. It also sold coffee through its website. Its product proposition centered on giving supermarket shoppers access to coffee formats and quality cues associated with specialty coffee shops, while retaining the convenience of packaged retail distribution. In 1996, Johnson sold Millstone Coffee to Procter & Gamble. Following the acquisition, Procter & Gamble closed most of the original Everett operation and administered the brand from Ohio. Johnson retained assets that Procter & Gamble had not acquired and used them to establish Cascade Coffee, which continued operating in Everett. This separated the original local business infrastructure from the Millstone brand as it moved into a larger corporate consumer-products organization. In January 2008, Procter & Gamble announced plans to establish an independent Folgers Coffee Company. Millstone became one of the three operating segments identified in that planned company, alongside Retail and Commercial. The transaction was completed when The J. M. Smucker Company merged with the Folgers Coffee Company on November 6, 2008. Millstone consequently became part of the Smucker coffee portfolio. The brand was ultimately discontinued. On September 9, 2016, The J. M. Smucker Company announced that it would discontinue Millstone, citing a lack of sustainable demand. Millstone therefore represents an early specialty-oriented supermarket coffee brand that moved from an independent Pacific Northwest origin into national corporate ownership before being withdrawn from the market.
History
Millstone Coffee originated in Everett, Washington, in 1981. Its founder, Phil Johnson, initially sold 100-pound sacks of Arabica beans to higher-end coffee shops in the greater Seattle area. The company developed during a period when coffee consumers were becoming more interested in origin, bean format, and café-style preparation. Its retail significance came from helping bring whole-bean coffee into supermarkets, extending a product format that had previously been more closely associated with specialty coffee shops and independent roasters. Millstone sold both whole-bean and ground coffee. Its retail business made packaged coffee available to consumers who wanted a specialty-oriented alternative within ordinary supermarket channels. The company also operated a website for direct sales. Although its roots were regional and closely connected to the Seattle coffee market, the brand later became part of a much larger consumer-goods structure. In 1996, Phil Johnson sold Millstone Coffee to Procter & Gamble. The acquisition shifted control of the brand away from its Everett origins. Procter & Gamble closed most of the Everett operation and ran Millstone from Ohio. Johnson retained assets that were not included in the transaction and subsequently founded Cascade Coffee, which continued doing business in Everett. The outcome preserved a separate local coffee business while Millstone proceeded under corporate ownership. In January 2008, Procter & Gamble announced a plan to create an independent Folgers Coffee Company. The proposed company was organized around three segments: Retail, Commercial, and Millstone. On November 6, 2008, The J. M. Smucker Company completed its merger with the Folgers Coffee Company. Millstone thus became part of Smucker's coffee operations and portfolio. The brand's later history ended with its withdrawal from the market. On September 9, 2016, The J. M. Smucker Company announced that it had decided to discontinue Millstone, explaining that the brand did not have sustainable demand. The documented history of Millstone therefore spans three principal phases: an independent Everett specialty-coffee origin, corporate ownership under Procter & Gamble and then The J. M. Smucker Company, and eventual discontinuation in 2016.
- 2016
Millstone is discontinued
[1]The J. M. Smucker Company announced that it would discontinue the brand because of a lack of sustainable demand.
- 2008
Millstone is included in the planned Folgers Coffee Company
[1]Procter & Gamble announced a planned independent Folgers Coffee Company with Retail, Commercial, and Millstone segments.
- 2008
Smucker completes the Folgers merger
[1]The J. M. Smucker Company completed its merger with the Folgers Coffee Company, bringing Millstone into its coffee portfolio.
- 1996
Procter & Gamble acquires Millstone Coffee
[1]Phil Johnson sold the company to Procter & Gamble, which closed most of the Everett operation and managed the brand from Ohio.
- 1981
Millstone Coffee is founded in Everett
[1]Phil Johnson founded Millstone Coffee in Everett, Washington, initially supplying large sacks of Arabica beans to higher-end Seattle-area coffee shops.
Products and positioning
A specialty-oriented supermarket coffee brand offering whole-bean and ground Arabica-based coffee for retail consumers.
Whole-bean coffee
Millstone whole-bean coffee
Whole-bean coffee was central to Millstone's retail identity. The brand helped popularize the supermarket sale of whole-bean coffee, offering consumers a packaged format that required grinding before brewing and was associated with fresher preparation and specialty-coffee consumption.
Ground coffee
Millstone ground coffee
Millstone also sold ground coffee for consumers seeking the convenience of ready-to-brew packaged coffee. It was distributed through retail settings and formed part of the brand's supermarket coffee range.
Brand decisions
2016
Discontinuation of the Millstone brandStrategyBackground
The J. M. Smucker Company assessed the brand as lacking sustainable demand.
Action taken
Smucker announced on September 9, 2016, that it would discontinue Millstone.
Aftermath
Millstone ceased to be an active brand in the documented portfolio.
2008
Transfer of Millstone into The J. M. Smucker Company coffee portfolioM&ABackground
Procter & Gamble announced a plan to create an independent Folgers Coffee Company containing Retail, Commercial, and Millstone segments.
Action taken
The J. M. Smucker Company completed its merger with the Folgers Coffee Company on November 6, 2008.
Aftermath
Millstone became part of The J. M. Smucker Company's coffee portfolio.
1996
Sale of Millstone Coffee to Procter & GambleM&ABackground
Millstone had developed from a Seattle-area specialty coffee supplier into a supermarket coffee brand before its founder sold the business.
Action taken
Phil Johnson sold Millstone Coffee to Procter & Gamble. Most of the Everett operation was subsequently closed, and the brand was managed from Ohio.
Aftermath
Johnson retained assets not purchased by Procter & Gamble and used them to establish Cascade Coffee in Everett.
Recent events
- 2016
The J. M. Smucker Company announces discontinuation of Millstone[1]
Other
The J. M. Smucker Company said it would discontinue Millstone because the brand lacked sustainable demand.
- 2008
Procter & Gamble announces plans for an independent Folgers Coffee Company[1]
M&A
Procter & Gamble announced that the planned independent Folgers Coffee Company would include Retail, Commercial, and Millstone segments.
- 2008
The J. M. Smucker Company completes merger with Folgers Coffee Company[1]
M&A
The J. M. Smucker Company completed its merger with the Folgers Coffee Company, bringing Millstone into Smucker's coffee portfolio.
Sources1 sources
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