Jessica Durrie and Brant Cosaboom founded Small World Coffee in Princeton, New Jersey in 1993, having met as recent college graduates working as baristas at Espresso Royale in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The roasting arm launched four years later, with Cosaboom and roastmaster Jon March pioneering what they call the East Coast Roast: a finely tuned middle point between light and dark that aims for balance and nuance without tipping into bitterness or excessive acidity. Cosaboom describes it as a fussy process, and the two of them personally handle all roasting to this day. Sourcing focuses on the best beans from ethically run farms, regardless of formal certification. Small World celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023, still independently owned and still roasting the way they always have.