We're eight people in a warehouse on the west side of Rockford, and a network of family-run producers across the UAE. Everything you receive from us passes through both.
"I spent eleven years working on port logistics in Jebel Ali before moving my family back to Illinois in 2015. The first winter home, I realized I couldn't find a decent tin of Emirati gahwa within 300 miles — and the coffee I did find was stale, mislabeled, or both.
Burnus started the following spring, from a single pallet in my garage. Ten years on, we still work with the first roaster we ever bought from. That is the whole business, really: keep the relationships small, keep the standards high, keep the paperwork honest."
— Peter Hays
Every producer we work with is visited in person, at least once a year, by someone on our team. No brokers, no drop-ship arrangements.
Coffee ships within 14 days of roasting. Dates within 30 days of harvest. Oud and textiles are ordered against real demand, never speculatively.
The margin on every SKU is fixed. Producers get a written cost breakdown once a quarter — so does anyone who asks.
If a tin arrives stale or a textile isn't as described, we refund it the same day and pay the return shipping. Non-negotiable.
Every email is signed with a real first name. Every phone call is answered by someone in Rockford who knows the inventory.
We don't run flash sales, we don't chase influencer trends, and we don't sell your data. We ship goods to households and restaurants, and we do it slowly and well.
After eleven years in UAE port logistics, the Hays family relocates to Illinois. First shipment of gahwa arrives by air freight in January 2016.
Illinois LLC filed. First website launches with three coffee SKUs and one date variety. Warehouse: half of a two-car garage.
Move into a proper 4,200 sq ft warehouse on the west side. Add textiles and oud to the catalog.
Begin supplying wholesale saffron and baharat to independent restaurants in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
Launch custom wooden gift boxes for Ramadan, Eid, weddings and corporate holidays. Now roughly a third of the business.
Eight people, 37 producer partners, shipping to 48 US states and counting.
Our Rockford warehouse is open by appointment Tuesday through Friday. Coffee is always on. Come see the shelves.
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