Coffee, people and places · Since 2023
A few moments from the life of a small New York coffee company. First cups, new places, familiar faces, and photos sent from the grocery aisle.
Pick a month or scroll through the cards. There is always another cup ahead.
May 2023
Oval began in May 2023, bringing Chris’s years in coffee back to New York. The idea was simple: find coffees we love, roast them with care, and share them.
An early note from Chris ↗First-season photograph, shared June 24, 2023. Photo: Shawn Bruce (@shawnpbruce).
October 2023
Our whole bean packaging was named a semifinalist in the first Sprudge Design Awards. A lovely early nod to the work of our designer, Craft & Wild.
Sprudge Design Awards ↗June 2024
Oval Sundays brought tastings and afternoon cups to Hard To Explain on East 10th Street. There were new coffees to try, and time to sit with them.
Oval on Instagram ↗Historical event series, announced June 11, 2024.
September 2024
StarChefs visited Chris for a look at the coffee behind Oval. A chance to talk about roasting and the sweetness he looks for in a cup.
StarChefs profile ↗December 2024
Before Oval’s national grocery debut, the team was coordinating packaging, product identifiers and production timelines. The quieter work behind the coffee aisle was already underway.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
February 2025
Planning with our roasting partners in The Bronx moved into larger-scale production, pallet configurations and distribution preparation. Every detail mattered in getting coffee from the roaster to the retailer.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
March 2025
Three coffees in two formats meant six products to prepare for grocery. Alongside roasting and packaging came product information, imaging and the work of getting each item ready for the shelf.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
May 2025
Our first nationwide Sprouts launch began in May. Seeing Oval travel from New York to grocery aisles around the country was a big moment for a small coffee company.
Company announcement on NOSH ↗Historical May 2025 Innovation Set; photograph shows whole-bean bags, pour-over caddies and individual single serves. Oval is not currently stocked at Sprouts.
June 2025
On the way to Phoenix, Chris stopped in Fort Collins to brew for Sprouts shoppers. A table, a few coffees, and a chance to hear what people thought.
Original post ↗Shared June 23, 2025. Historical visit; Oval is not currently stocked at Sprouts.
June 2025
Oval joined the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, sharing our coffees with retailers, food professionals and fellow emerging brands. Conversations at the booth opened doors for what came next.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
June 2025
A June purchase-order notification marked another step in Oval’s growing grocery distribution. Behind each order was a team coordinating coffee, packaging and delivery.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
July 2025
Through the New@KeHE program, Oval worked to make its coffees available to more retail partners across several regions. The work extended well beyond a single store or a single shipment.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
September 2025
Two years in, we sent our first newsletter. A few events, some neighborhood shops, a new website, and thanks to everyone following along.
September journal ↗Our first newsletter, September 2025.
October 2025
Chris stopped at Morning Glory Natural Foods in Brunswick, Maine, during a family trip. There was Oval, on the shelf, a long way from the roaster.
Original post ↗Shared October 12, 2025.
November 2025
Andrew met Adrian, the grocery manager at CTown on Graham Avenue in Williamsburg. Adrian recognized the bags and wanted to make room for more of the coffees. Sometimes a store visit turns into a good conversation.
Original post ↗Shared November 7, 2025.
December 2025
Rain brought its own pace to our Brooklyn pop-up. Neighbors still stopped for coffee, a chat, and a little time together.
Oval on Facebook ↗Shared December 1, 2025. A past pop-up, rather than a current schedule.
January 2026
Our friend David spotted Oval at Food Emporium in Waldwick, New Jersey, and called us from the aisle. We love getting these little updates from people out in the world.
Oval on Facebook ↗Shared January 15, 2026.
January 2026
In January, we shared news of Oval’s upcoming Earth Fare launch across the Southeast. Bringing our Women-Grown, Natural Process and Half-Caff coffees to more natural grocery shoppers was an exciting step for our small New York coffee company.
Read the Earth Fare announcement ↗Announced January 27, 2026; retail rollout followed in February. Photo: Earth Fare endcap, October 2026.
February 2026
A member of Chris’s family sent this from Denver. It is a small thing, a photograph from a grocery store, but it means a lot to see where the coffee ends up.
Oval on Facebook ↗Shared February 28, 2026. Historical display; Oval is not currently stocked at Sprouts.
February 2026
After our first Sprouts Innovation Set in 2025 and conversations about what could come next, Oval returned for a limited-time nationwide whole-bean display program in February 2026. Here, the freestanding shipper stands near the bulk coffee department at a Philadelphia store.
Historical February 2026 program. Oval is not currently stocked at Sprouts.
March 2026
Andrew’s cousin Austin sent a photo after picking up Riverside near his college campus in Arizona. A few bags for a shared pantry, and another everyday place for the coffee to land.
Original post ↗Shared March 25, 2026. Historical purchase; Oval is not currently stocked at Sprouts.
August 2026
All six Oval coffees—three whole-bean bags and three single-serve pour-over 8-packs—launched at 45 Lowes Foods stores across North and South Carolina. A new chance to meet shoppers during their everyday grocery run.
Read the Lowes Foods announcement ↗Lowes Foods launch announcement, August 24, 2026.
March 2026
During our national Sprouts shipper program, Chris was back behind the brew bar, making coffee for shoppers at the Christopher Columbus Boulevard store in Philadelphia, near the Ben Franklin Bridge. For him, the experience in the cup matters as much as the work that gets it onto the shelf. A chance to brew, share and hear what people think.
Historical March 2026 demonstration. Oval is not currently stocked at Sprouts.
September 2026
Oval’s six-coffee assortment reached Fresh Thyme Market in the Midwest, following preparations for Lowes Foods in the Southeast. Each new shelf brought another chance for someone to discover our coffee.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
October 2026
The full coffee aisle gives a different view of the bags we know so well. Here, our whole bean coffees and pour-over single serves sit together at Fresh Thyme Market.
Retail photo journal ↗Store photograph from October 2026.
October 2026
Our whole-bean coffees joined the assortment at Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lover’s Markets, adding another chapter to Oval’s specialty grocery journey.
A milestone from Oval’s early retail and distribution journey.
Chris’s coffee path began behind the bar, then took him through roasting in Brooklyn and work at Upper Left Roasters in Portland, Oregon, before returning to New York.
Andrew grew up around his family’s bakery. His work later took him through Bonne Maman, Yogi Tea, Hooray Foods and MyFOREST Foods. He brought that experience in food and grocery to Oval.
Different paths, a shared place to begin.
Read the founders’ background ↗