Behind Black Rifle Coffee, “Anti-Hipster” Response to Starbucks “Liberal Latte” Says Sales Are Going Up
Photograph by Quinton D. Hapke via Black Rifle Coffee Company
- Veteran Evan Hafer founded Black Rifle Coffee Company in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2014.
- Hafer has said he wants to provide coffee for veterans and what he calls the “pro-American” community.
- Donald Trump Jr. publicly praised the coffee company.
- See more stories on the Insider business page.
Black Rifle Coffee Company wants to be the Conservatives’ Starbucks.
Evan Hafer, Founder and CEO of Black Rifle Coffee Company, recently said The New York Times he founded BRCC as a pro-military, pro-law and anti-hipster company. He and two other veterans run the business and prioritize hiring other former members of the armed forces.
Here’s everything you need to know about Black Rifle Coffee Company:
What is Black Rifle Coffee Company?
Black Rifle Coffee Company is a small batch coffee business that sells its products in Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Utah. The store also ships beers nationwide through its membership in the Black Rifle Coffee Club, according to its website.
A spokesperson for the BRCC told Insider the company employs 530 people, more than half of whom are reservists, military veterans and military spouses. BRCC would not share the names of its investors.
BRCC’s offerings include Freedom Fuel Roast, Liberty Roast, and AK-47 Espresso Blend coffee rings for around $ 15 for a 12 oz. bag. Black Rifle Coffee Club membership costs $ 25 per month.
Who owns the black rifle?
Veteran Evan Hafer founded Black Rifle Coffee Company in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2014. Prior to founding Black Rifle, Hafer served in the United States Army for 20 years as an infantryman, special forces soldier, and CIA contractor. according to his LinkedIn.
Other members include Tom Davin, co-CEO and former Marine Corps infantry officer, and Matt Best, executive vice president and former CIA sub-contractor.
Black Rifle Coffee Company is owned by the “veterans community,” Hafer said in a Youtube video.
“I created Black Rifle Coffee Company to provide high quality coffee to pro-American and veteran communities,†Hafer wrote on the Company Website.
What brands does Black Rifle Coffee have a business relationship with?
Black Rifle Coffee Company sells its products in Bass Pro Shops
BRCC sponsored episodes of the “Slightly offensive“podcast hosted by Elijah Schaffer, an employee of the right-wing media outlet The Blaze.
BRCC has been criticized for sponsoring an episode of the podcast titled “Kyle Rittenhouse: Homicide Maniac or American Hero?”
Rittenhouse, a teenager who killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, also wore a Black Rifle Coffee Company t-shirt in a photo posted by “Slightly Offensive.”
Hafer said in a declaration BRCC does not sponsor or have a relationship with Rittenhouse, but the company believes “in the integrity of the legal justice system” and supports law enforcement officials.
-Black gun coffee (@blckriflecoffee) July 9, 2021
How does Black Rifle Coffee Company relate to Donald Trump?
Hafer told the New York Times that he voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 election, but a spokesperson for the BRCC said the company was not affiliated with any campaign or political party.
Donald Trump Jr. endorsed Black Rifle Coffee Company in 2017 and said he has met with company executives.
“Great coffee, great guys and great Americans,†Donald Trump Jr. tweeted in November 2017. “I had the chance to meet and hang out with them. Try it.â€
Although Hafer told The Times he disagreed with the mob that stormed the White House over Trump’s baseless allegations of electoral fraud, a photo has been circulated depicting a insurgent wearing zipped handcuffs wearing a BRCC hat.
“How do you build a cool, irreverent, pro-Second Amendment, pro-America brand in the MAGA era without doubling down on the MAGA movement and also not being called a [expletive] RINO by the guys at MAGA? â€Hafer told The Times.