Mark Crawford

Advisory Board

Mark Crawford
Specialty Coffee Original
Defining Espresso Authority
Former Key Manager for McDonald’s McCafe Project
Director of Business Development, Mont Blanc Gourmet
Author and Professional Speaker

Mr. Crawford’s 21 years of specialty coffee trailblazing began in Seattle. Starting with the world’s very first single step super-automatic espresso machine, Mark moved on to found Espresso Elegance, which became the largest espresso catering concern in the U.S. Later, he founded the largest espresso machine sales and service business in Oregon (Caffeine Machines). As the pioneering creator of “Realtime Roasting,” Mr. Crawford also established the inceptive multi-unit coffee drive-thru concept in Portland, Oregon.

Quickly recruited for his ingenuity and vision, Mr. Crawford began managing key accounts for Espresso Specialists/Franke. In this role, Mark was responsible for no less than the single most massive deployment of espresso in the world: the intensely intricate and market disrupting McCafe project for McDonald’s.

On the heels of his sensational accomplishments with ES/F, Mark opted for a change of scenery, moving to Denver as Director of Business Development for Mont Blanc Gourmet. Creating and managing signature drink development for the likes of Tim Horton’s, Mars, Sodexo, and Dairy Queen, Mr. Crawford continues to develop critical relationships between national coffee roasters, national retail chains, and consumers.

During his celebrated contributions to the essence of the coffee industry at large, Mark Crawford has personally helped start over 400 specialty coffee locations. As one of the leading subject matter expert in espresso, Mr. Crawford is an integral member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, serving on the Professional Development Committee, the Espresso Subcommittee, and as Lead Espresso Instructor for the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). In addition, he serves on the UTZ Good Inside Foundation, a sustainability nonprofit for coffee, cocoa, tea, and palm oil.

Universally respected for his insight and innovation, Mr. Crawford has been a Keynote Speaker for the Worldwide McDonald’s Coffee Summit and the Specialty Coffee Association of America. He is also an author and contributing writer to Fast Casual, Fresh Cup, Specialty Coffee Retailer, Quick Service Retail, and Roast magazines.

Mark Crawford brings nothing less than a Promethean resourcefulness to Thinkubator - elevating our Family to peerless heights in all things coffee - and beyond.

BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE
Research | Development | Management | Oversight