Hey there!
When looking at the purchasing and sourcing side of the coffee business, I think you are absolutely right. Especially when you take into account the sell-by date vs the grounding date.
For a coffee connoisseur, it's no surprise that a small family-run business would be more appealing to you:)
I think when if we mean coffee shop or Cafe like, I also prefer the smaller family shops. As for the farming, majority of the countries produce coffee in family farms. There are also some bigger producers, for instance Brazil, but even the bigger farms there are some specialty selected beans and batches. So the answer is… I prefer always the family businesses when it comes to coffee!
same for me, for many different reasons:)