Prodigal Coffee is based in Boulder, Colorado, United States, and was founded by Scott Rao and Mark Benedetto. Rao is a coffee consultant and author whose books, including The Coffee Roaster’s Companion, have influenced professional roasting. Benedetto brings experience as a trained chef, Q Grader and founder of San Francisco’s Last Stand Coffee.

Their partnership centres on light roasting and rigorous quality control. Coffees are repeatedly tasted to refine roast development, with particular attention to sweetness, fruit definition and consistency between batches. Prodigal also treats sufficient resting time after roasting as part of getting the best from its coffees.

The selection combines seasonal single origins and distinctive small lots with the Boulder Blend. Detailed lot information keeps the producer, variety and processing method in view, making Prodigal especially relevant to drinkers interested in the relationship between green-coffee quality and roasting technique.