Metric Coffee was founded in Chicago in 2013. Legend has it the partners took out a student loan to buy an antique Probat, and reinvested early coffee sales to develop the company. Metric has remained fiercely independent while becoming an established contributor to Chicago’s third-wave coffee community.

The roaster focuses on sweet, clean and expressive coffees sourced from small producers. Metric says it visits farms, mills and laboratories, works directly with producing partners whenever possible, publishes pricing information and considers both quality and production costs when negotiating coffee purchases. Its roasting program uses Probat UG15 and P25 machines and spans bright light-roasted single origins, seasonal blends, medium-roast house and cold-brew coffees, and a darker espresso-oriented offering.

Metric operates its West Town flagship café and training center alongside Milli by Metric, an all-day café and bakery connected to the company’s Avondale roasting and production facility. Its wholesale program serves cafés, restaurants, offices, grocery accounts and hospitality businesses, with support covering equipment, buildouts and menu development. Customers can also order recurring single-origin, house-roast, dark-roast and decaf subscriptions in multiple delivery intervals.