Wicked Good CoffeeGeorge Howell Coffee in Acton, Massachusetts
A Massachusetts roaster with a long history in American coffee and a focus on where each lot was grown.
George Howell is a name with a long history in American coffee. He started The Coffee Connection in the 1970s, sold it to Starbucks, and in 2004 began George Howell Coffee, which roasts light and treats coffee like wine, with attention to where each lot was grown.
The short version
- Roastery
- 312 School Street, Acton, MA 01720. Phone (978) 635-9033.
- Founded
- George Howell Coffee dates from 2004, per the company. Howell started The Coffee Connection in the 1970s.
- Cafes
- The company's site lists the Godfrey Hotel (see our profile), Boston Public Market, Newbury Street, Newtonville, and the roastery. Boston Globe reported a fourth cafe at Lovestruck Books in Harvard Square in 2025. Check which are open before you go.
The approach
Per the company, Howell co-founded the Cup of Excellence competition in 1999 and left it in 2002. It says it applies "terroir" thinking to single-estate lots, roasts light, and uses special storage for freshness. It runs a weekly limited-roast program that goes on sale Fridays.
The history
The company says Howell sold The Coffee Connection, then 24 stores, to Starbucks in 1994, and that he fully owns George Howell Coffee. Sources give different years for the start of The Coffee Connection: the company's site says 1974 on one page and "roasting since 1975" on another, and the Boston Globe dates the original Harvard Square cafe to 1975. This profile says the 1970s.
Where to start
Its shop lists Alchemy Espresso and a Dota, Costa Rica single-origin, among others.
This profile is researched from published sources, not from a visit. Locations and offerings change, so check before you go. Sources: George Howell Coffee, its George Howell page, its locations page, and the Boston Globe.
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