In 1978, when Royal first opened its doors, specialty coffee was an afterthought,
existing far from the mainstream, in the realm of the few. Until that time, the
best coffees were for the most part imported by the institutional roasters and blended
in with the lower grades to make their canned products palatable. Of course this
was all about to change. As the eighties dawned, public awareness was growing and
new roasters were coming on line to fuel this demand.
