---
title: "Building Sustainable Roasteries: Luke Waite on the Core 7 of Coffee Business Success"
description: "On Legends: Luke Waite, founder of Pomelo Coffee Consulting and author of the upcoming book The Owner’s Manual: A Guide to Sustaining a Coffee Roaster."
image: https://www.sanfranroaster.com/hubfs/Luke-waite-blog.webp
---

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 August 26, 2025

# Building Sustainable Roasteries: Luke Waite on the Core 7 of Coffee Business Success

    The San Franciscan Roaster Co.  ·   1 minute read

 

![Luke-waite-blog](https://www.sanfranroaster.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Luke-waite-blog.webp?width=770&height=570&name=Luke-waite-blog.webp)

<https://www.sanfranroaster.com/blog/luke-waite-on-the-core-7-of-coffee-business-success#video>

Coffee roasting is often romanticized as an art of taste, aroma, and the perfect crack. But as anyone who has stood in front of a cooling tray knows, artistry alone doesn’t pay the rent. That’s where today’s guest on the Coffee Roasting Legends Podcast steps in.

Bill Kennedy recently sat down with Luke Waite, founder of Pomelo Coffee Consulting and creator of the Core 7 framework, to talk about what it really takes to build a roastery that lasts.

[You can watch the video of our interview at the bottom of this article](https://www.sanfranroaster.com/blog/luke-waite-on-the-core-7-of-coffee-business-success#video).

### Luke’s journey began far from business consulting

From brewing Chemex coffee in a college dorm, to working in Chicago roasteries, to managing operations at Metric Coffee during the pandemic, he discovered that his strength wasn’t just in coffee education or sales—it was in building systems that worked. Owners began asking him to solve operational headaches, and from those conversations, Pomelo Coffee Consulting was born.

His mission is clear: help roasters succeed in three key areas—People, Processes, and Profit. Out of that philosophy, he developed the Core 7: the essential pillars of every roastery—sales, product, cash management, green coffee, operations, people, and wholesale..

### In the episode, Luke shares:

- Why roasting great coffee is only one piece of the puzzle.
- How the Core 7 framework creates stability and scalability.
- The importance of stepping away from the roaster and trusting your team.
- How peer-to-peer coaching helps roasters realize they’re not alone.

One standout? Luke recalls working with a roaster whose sales conversion rate jumped 54% simply by implementing a structured sales process.

For roasters who feel like they’re “wearing every hat” and can’t imagine taking a vacation, Luke’s advice is refreshing: structure your business so it serves you, not the other way around.

Luke’s upcoming book, The Owner’s Manual: A Guide to Sustaining a Coffee Roaster, distills his Core 7 into actionable steps. It will be available directly through his website, Pomelo Coffee Consulting.p.

### Useful Links

- Luke's webpage is here: [https://www.pomelocoffeeconsulting.com/](https://www.pomelocoffeeconsulting.com/)
- You can buy Luke's book here: [https://www.pomelocoffeeconsulting.com/pomelo-book](https://www.pomelocoffeeconsulting.com/pomelo-book)

## Watch the full interview

### Fill out the Form to Find Out More about San Franciscan Roasters

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