About Us
10+ years of coffee roasting experience and a deep love of coffee
Our History
Zero Dark Thirty Coffee Inc was founded by two disabled veterans (one was also a first responder for 16 years) and their spouses. We wanted to find a way to help our brothers and sisters (whether they served in green, blue, or red) get back their independence after being wounded in the line of duty. We are all too familiar with the hardships our warriors face when the physical battles are over, because the mental battle is just beginning. This is true for all those who served, whether it was fighting in a foreign land, fighting to safeguard the health and safety of those here at home, or during training and preparation for either, our warriors put themselves in harm’s way for our benefit every day.
Coffee is our Strong Point
We were fortunate enough to make it home every day, but neither one of us would be alive today without help from some very special people. Now that we are in a position to do so, we want to give back and help those coming home now. A wise man once told me to find a way to make money doing something I love and I would never have to work again. We figured that same logic applies to helping those who keep us free and safe.
The first problem we ran into was figuring out our strong points. It wasn’t practical to turn our knowledge of explosives, weapons, and military tactics into a way to help our brothers and sisters transition into civilian life. So, as we sat together over a cup of coffee, kicking around ideas, we had a moment of clarity. With 10+ years of coffee roasting experience and a deep love of coffee, we had found our medium.
Zero Dark Thirty
We knew from talking to our friends and family that most people drink coffee regularly and at first light. That is where our name Zero Dark Thirty Coffee Inc comes from, it is military slang for really early in the morning (Buttcrack of Dawn Coffee didn’t have the same ring to it!). We also knew that most people drink the name brand, mass-produced coffee that is lower in quality than what we roasted for ourselves. We knew that we could get better coffee to people for about the same price, so the decision to switch would be easy. Not just because of the better quality, but also because we truly are a nonprofit company. A regular coffee company has the primary goal of making money for the owners or shareholders, period. That is how this great country of ours works and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Thanks for your support!
However, our primary goal here at Zero Dark Thirty Coffee Inc is to provide our customers with the best coffee possible at the current market price. Nobody at Zero Dark Thirty Coffee Inc is trying to get rich and there are no owners or shareholders to keep happy by filling their pockets.
Our profits go to ZDTC Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity for veterans, first responders, and their families. Every charity we donate to has to meet certain criteria to ensure we are getting the most out of every dollar you spend. We are dedicated to our goal of donating a large % of our profits and using the other % to expand the company so we can fill more cups and help more people! We know this is aiming high but we believe it is possible!
All of us at Zero Dark Thirty Coffee Inc would like to thank you for your support. Even if you don’t buy a single coffee bean, taking the time to read this has furthered our mission: to bring awareness to veteran and first responder suicide and PTSD.