Our Story
In 1993, while visiting his sister in Ethiopia, Jeff Moore learned to roast coffee on a stovetop and witnessed its cultural significance to Ethiopians. He discovered how exceptionally well-appreciated fresh-roasted coffee could be. A seed was planted, and he returned to Canada focused on one life-changing question: How could he start a coffee business that would do justice to the coffee, the farmers, and the planet? The answers weren’t simple, but the vision was clear.
By 1995, Jeff and his wife, Deb, risked it all, putting their home on the line to purchase their first $70,000 shipment of fair trade organic coffee from the Union de la Selva coffee co-op in Chiapas, Mexico. Together with three partners, they launched Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-operative in their home in New Minas, Nova Scotia.
Building direct relationships with coffee co-ops has been essential from the beginning. One of our earliest and longest partnerships is with Comité Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA), a cooperative of Guatemalan farmers rebuilding their lives after years of civil war. For 30 years now, these deep relationships have defined who we are.
Hear Directly From Our Founders
Environmental Sustainability
Sustainability has been at the core of Just Us! since the beginning. By supporting regenerative organic agriculture and paying fair prices for ingredients, we share responsibility with small-scale farmers in the Global South, enabling them to care for their families, nurture their communities, and steward the lands that sustain them.
For over a decade, we’ve offset our electricity usage through Bullfrog Power, ensuring every kilowatt we use is replenished with renewable energy in Atlantic Canada’s power grid. As Canada’s first Fair Trade Organic coffee roaster, we continue to lead with justice, integrity, and solidarity—ensuring our work benefits both people and the planet.
Coffee the Co-op Way
Since 1995, Just Us! has proudly operated as a 100% Canadian worker-owned co-op, inspired by the producer co-ops we partner with around the world. Our democratic model means that everyone who works with us—from baristas to administrators—can become a member-owner, shaping our decisions and ensuring we remain committed to the community, the land, and our purposeful work. Together, we’ve built a platform for positive change—one that contributes to social and environmental justice while generating income for our workers and staying true to our cooperative roots.
Join the Team!
If joining our community sounds like your cup of (coffee), we’d love to hear from you! At Just Us!, we invest in your growth with internal training, professional development opportunities, and involvement in our innovation program. Plus, you could become a Worker Member of our co-op. Master the art of coffee-making while connecting with our customers and building skills that will serve you for life!
