Three generations of Stewarts family management, 100+ years of coffee, and a small piece of Chicago history – a legacy etched in American History that all started with Great Grandpa William A. Stewart. In 1913, he founded Stewarts Private Blend Foods and created the 110-year-old recipe we call Private Blend, becoming one of the few companies of that era to produce vacuum-sealed coffee cans, alongside notable brands like Folgers, Maxwell House, and Hills. To this day, the vacuum sealed Stewarts Private Blend cans remain our best-selling coffee item.
William passed his legacy to his son Donald Stewart, who in turn had three sons—Bill, Don II, and Bob—ensuring the continuation of that legacy through the decades of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. Together, the three brothers built a name for themselves in both the restaurant industry with delicious coffee and in the retail space with our well-known tin cans. In addition to this, Stewarts was also the official Private Label Coffee for the Great Western Railway, the Drake Hotel, and the Marshall Field’s Building. These endeavors enabled Stewarts to bring the best coffee and tea from around the world to all of Chicagoland and beyond.
Since the passing of the Stewarts brothers, their legacies have been honored and Stewarts Coffee continues to thrive 110 years later as a family-owned business in the hands of the Cappuccitti family.
Since 1913, Stewarts has proudly called Chicago its home. In 1986, Joe Cappuccitti, a Chicago native and recent graduate from Loyola University, visited the old Stewarts Coffee warehouse on Wrightwood Ave in downtown Chicago for one of the first audits of his CPA career. Working with Ernst and Young Accounting at the time, his auditor told him “Do not mess this up. This will be the best audit of your life;” little did Joe know that those words would hold true 30 years later.
While waiting to begin his audit, Joe curiously walked over to the coffee machine. A tall man approached asking if he would like a cup of coffee. Responding with no, Joe explained that he has not liked the taste of coffee and that his dad always had Italian espresso around the house. Before returning to his normal routine, the tall man smiled as he made joe a cup of tea and replied, “You’ll learn to like it one day.”
The receptionist then brought Joe to the office of Mr. Bill Stewart, the man in charge of this prospering coffee company. Joe quickly realized that Bill Stewart was the same genuine man who had just made him his tea and told him he would learn to like coffee one day. Who would have known shortly after, Bill would hire Joe full-time as Stewarts internal auditor/financial advisor.
After coming up under the wing of Bill Stewart and learning the ins and outs of the company, Joe was given the opportunity to take over Stewarts Coffee in 2014. Driven by a commitment to honor his mentor Bill, he embraced the opportunity to carry forward the tradition of excellence that has defined Stewarts since day one. Since taking over the business, Joe has brought Stewarts to new heights, overcoming the Chicago Union and steering business through the tough and competitive market that is today’s coffee industry.
In 2018, Joe got some much-needed help from his two sons, Joey and Johnny, along with a group of their local friends to relocate manufacturing operations from the old 44,000 sq ft plant in Chicago to its current home in Carol Stream, Illinois. Together, Joe and his oldest son Joey proudly operate Stewarts Coffee, where they personally roast, grind, and pack each can of coffee, ensuring you have a fresh, delicious cup every morning at home.
Stop today to grab a cup of history and taste the legacy that has been brewed for 110+ years.