The History of Dale Bros. & Coffee Break Service
The Early Days
The origin of Dale Bros. Coffee dates back over one hundred years ago to 1895. In the silver mining towns of Townopah, Nevada and Miller, Nevada, Joesph Dale Sr. and his brothers Wade and Ned owned and operated general stores to serve the prospectors of these two mining towns. For more than 20 years, the Dale brothers sold goods and services out of their general store to the patrons of the towns. After the Silver Boom came to a halt in 1917, Joe and Wade decided to pack up and head west to Fresno, California where they opened up the Dale Bros General Store on Cherry Street in Central Fresno.
Joe Dale Sr. & Wade Dale
Dale Bros. Coffee
From here is where they found their passion for roasting their own brand of Dale Bros. Coffee along with selling groceries to the Fresno public. Joe and Wade’s Dale Bros. Brand grew quickly in popularity with the local people of Fresno to the point of selling Dale Bros. Coffee in grocery stores throughout the Central Valley of California.
The demand for Dale Bros. Coffee grew quickly throughout the Central Valley and forced Joe and Wade to move their roasting business to a larger facility at 1408 H. Street in Fresno in 1936. The demand for the Dale Bros brand became so large that Joe and Wade left the grocery store business and focused solely on roasting their ever popular brand of Dale Bros. Coffee and spices to the Valley’s grocery stores. Soon, their brand became a demand for coffee in the valley’s dinner houses and restaurants.
Dale Bros Coffee became one of the most popular brand amongst the people of the Central Valley only behind Folgers and Hills Bros. coffee. The brand and name of Dale Bros. was retired in 1973 when the roasting plant was aquired by Farmer Bros. Coffee. Dale Bros Coffee memoribelia has become very collectable and to this day these items are seen as a piece of the Central Valley’s history amongst collectors.
Original Cherry St. Roasting Plant
Coffee Break Service Inc.
In 1969 the direct grandsons of Joe Dale Sr., Jerry and Jeff Dale, formed the office coffee service company of Coffee Break Service Incorporated. Coffee Break Service’s mission was to bring an affordable and fully serviced breakroom coffee experience for the businesses of the Central Valley. Since 1969, Coffee Break Service has been providing businesses throughout the Central Valley with exceptional products and service to the point of national recognition. In 1986, Coffee Break Service received the National Coffee Service Association’s prestigious National Service Award for the #1 Office Coffee Service in the United States. Today, Coffee Break Service continues to provide this same award winning service to the business, breakrooms, convenience stores , donuts shops, coffee houses and restaurants of the Valley. Family owned and operated, Coffee Break Service continues to carry on the tradition of the original Dale Bros that have served Central California for over half a century.
Dale Bros. 1936
Awarded for the most outstanding coffee service in the United States by the National Coffee Service Association