Mills Coffee Roasting, home of the Queen Beans, is one of the oldest continuously family owned roasters in the nation. It was founded by Thomas Mills, who emigrated from England in 1860 most likely on a whaling vessel with an uncle of his.  He had a connection to the East India Tea Company and actually started the business as a tea company. He purchased his own roaster in the late 1800s and developed his own signature roast, Mills Blend.

His son, Fredrick and son-in-law purchased the store from him.  Then Fredrick’s son, Kenny and Kenny’s wife, Alice purchased the business in the 1950s.  In the 1980s, Kenny passed away suddenly at the age of  55 so his daughter, Susan, and son, David, took over.

Susan was 24 years old and David was 19 years old. David was really well versed in how to run the mill, but the business needed someone to run the business side.  Susan recalls it being a time when coffee prices went crazy and it being a real baptism by fire as they were now running in the coffee business.

Every generation, someone buys out a sibling. Susan’s father, 3rd generation, bought out his  2 siblings.  He, his wife, and 2 other people worked there for several years before adding new employees.

The mill, which is considered a small-medium size roaster, now employs about 12 individuals who have worked there many years. Susan says they don’t have a problem with turnover, because it is run like a little extended family and they value their employees.  They really are a family. Nicole remembers being a flower girl at the roaster’s wedding when she was only 4 years old.  One of the ladies that works in the office used to be her babysitter, and the person that helps her with the online business, has been a family friend since they were teens.

Kenny Mills and their delivery van

Being a family owned business, Some of Nicole’s earliest memories are of being at the mill with her brother, climbing on bags of coffee. She also remembers sitting with her grandmother and mother drinking coffee.  While these were fond memories, she was inconvenienced by the time the mill took her mother’s attention away from her.  But, as she grew older, those fond memories overshadowed what felt like a sibling rivalry with the mill and she began to embrace and enjoy the coffee they produced.

She took Mills Coffee everywhere she went.  She shared it with friends and began a side business selling it when she was in grad school.  Eventually, this led to a very successful online store.  She gave it her mother’s nickname, “The Queen Bean”.

While it has a different name, all of the coffee orders are fulfilled by Mills Coffee Company to sustain the fine coffee quality.  https://www.thequeenbean.com/ 

Susan is the OG Queen Bean.  In 1980 there weren’t any women in the coffee business.  Susan recalls her father telling her “You can’t go into the coffee business because you are a women and they will eat you up! They will eat you up with the green (coffee) brokers in New York.  They will eat you up on the street with the restaurant businesses..  These are tough, tough people and you will never be able to do it.”

Then her father passed away and she was thrown into the business along with her brother.  Her brother was more gifted in the mechanical part of the business and roasting.  Susan was the voice.

Her mother encouraged her by telling her that she could indeed handle the business.  She told the young Susan that she was pretty enough to get their interest but to make sure that she was very clear about the business and know it better than them. She did just that and impressed her male colleagues in the field of coffee. She was so good at her job, they began to call her such endearing names such as “Your Majesty.”  One customer began calling and asking for her as  “The Queen Bean.”

When AOL started issuing email addresses, the company secretary made Susan’s email address thequeenbean@aol.com.  That is when it became official.

Susan with one year old Nicole when she and her brother began running the company.

Mills coffee orders their coffee direct from the growers.  This allows farmers greater benefit.  Mills Coffee enjoys great relationships with the farmers and they frequently visit the farms. Some of their most fun memories are from being hosted at origin, which is the place where the coffee beans are grown.  In turn, the farmers and those that promote their business will visit from their countries.

After the civil war in El Salvador was over, a lady that was native to Central America approached Susan to promote El Salvadoran coffee. Susan recalled that her father had notes about coffee from that area, but it was hard for him to buy it.  This lady was planning a “little get together” of roasters. She asked Susan if it would be ok to stop by and see them as well.  Susan agreed, but wanted to know when so she could prepare for their visit.

A few days passed and someone from the Secret Service arrived at the mill to “secure their place.”  They announced to the staff that the Vice President of El Salvador and his entourage were on their way. Susan and all the employees were quite surprised and began rushing around to prepare for their special guests.  Some were sent for pastries, some were sent to get Susan a more dressy change of clothes.

Susan said she will never forget when a co-worker announced that they were arriving and she looked out the window only to see a whole bus load of people.

The only place they had big enough to host everyone was in the roasting area. So, Susan used the opportunity to just talk about how her father had enjoyed the special shade grown coffee from El Salvador.  It became a very emotional moment as some of the guests got teary eyed as they mourned the loss of what the coffee business in their country once was.