Q3 Investor Update
Ember & Oak Roasting Co. · October 2026 · From: Maya Chen, Founder
Q3 was the quarter wholesale finally worked. We signed 14 new café accounts — including our first regional chain — and wholesale is now 38% of revenue, up from 22% in Q2. The roastery ran at 81% capacity in September without a single missed roast day.
The numbers
- Revenue: $214k (+31% QoQ) — DTC $133k, wholesale $81k
- Gross margin: 58% (target 60%; green coffee prices up 9%)
- Subscription base: 2,140 active (+18%); churn steady at 3.1%
- Cash: $96k runway after the second roaster deposit
What we got wrong
The 5lb food-service bags are priced too aggressively — margins sit at 51–54% against our 55% floor. We're repricing in November; two of our largest accounts have already agreed in principle. I'd rather have this conversation now than discover it in Q1.
Honest about margins, clear about the fix. That's the update I want to read.
Q4 focus
- Reprice 5lb bags; protect the 55% margin floor
- Commission the second roaster by mid-December
- Launch the holiday gift set (pre-orders open Nov 10)