Scott Carey, a St. Louis native who practiced patent law in New York, opened the first Sump on South Jefferson Avenue on December 1, 2011, hoping to recreate the New York coffee scene he had seen at Ninth Street Espresso. It began as a multi-roaster cafe, then bought a roaster in July 2012 after consistency became a problem. The roaster was a 2.5 kg Diedrich.
Every Sump cafe has a Poursteady pour-over machine, and the newest is in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
