There are many ways to give back to society, and the Black Rifle Coffee Company remains a unique outlet. Created by veterans to support military and civilian personnel, the franchise achieves its goal by selling a distinguished blend of beverages and apparel with attentive dedication and determination. The article reveals how this company began, what inspired its purpose, and the fundamental investors involved.

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Valuation$1.11 billion
Established:December 2014
Founded by:Evan Hafer
Country of Origin: United States of America
Products:Sales of Beverages and Military Gear

What is Black Rifle Coffee Company? 

The Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC or BRC) is an American beverage establishment in Salt Lake City, Utah. In December 2014, army veteran Evan Hafer established the BRCC, intending to employ ten thousand vets. The business started with a primary objective: to serve coffee and culture to people who love America. With sales increasing, the BRCC had its outlets established online and at physical locations throughout the USA.

The franchise started with few employees and focused on its beverage products. By 2018, the company ventured into military gear, gift items, and apparel products. The BRC also produced exotic brands of coffee, such as its canned iced coffee. The brand established a subscription base for customers with bundles for beverage product preferences. Part of its communal contribution is the BRCC Fund, which involves collaborations with organizations to fund and aid the welfare of vets and the community. 

The BRCC receives incredible support for its contributions to veterans and its activism. The brand’s range of products became fan favorites and bestsellers, and its offers significantly increased its consumer base. With 40% of the staff being veterans, the BlackRifle Coffee Company still promotes its goals of hiring fifty thousand vets in its services. 

In February 2022, BRCC went public through a merger with SilverBox Engaged Merger Corp. The company is currently worth an estimated $1.1 billion from its success.

Who founded Black Rifle Coffee and why? 

Former United States Green Beret veteran, Evan Hafer, created the Black Rifle Company brand in late 2014. He established the company to give back to the community and improve the lives of military and paramilitary staff by contributing portions of profit made from sales and partnering with like-minded associations. 

Hafer's love for coffee increased when he served as a US Army Special forces NCO. He was home-roasting coffee beans and constantly thinking of different ways to create memorable coffee tastes. After about 9 years of working with the CIA and being deployed to some of the most hazardous locations in the world, Hafer chose to transition to living a more "happy and fulfilling" life. 

What is Black Rifle Coffee worth? 

The coffee brand currently has an approximate $1.1 billion valuation.

How has Black Rifle Coffee grown so fast? 

BRCC's exponential growth can be traced to its quality coffee and merch, unique online content, veteran-support efforts, and brazen stance on sensitive political topics. 

In 2014, Hafer roasted beans in his garage, making 500 pounds of coffee to ship and advertised it on Mat Best's YouTube channel which had scores of followers. They sold more than 300 bags in 5 days.

BRCC had three partners and three employees in July 2016. By August 2016, they released a video, "How to be American" which received many views. With the following BRCC coffee orders, the company shuttered for five days to meet up with sales. In October 2016, they moved into a permanent office with about 80 employees. From grossing $8,000 daily, sales grew to $20,000 - $30,000 daily. 

Big Things Brewing

In 2017, BRCC's coffee and merch sales spiked after the company pledged to hire 10,000 veterans. This was in response to Starbucks' pledge to hire 10,000 refugees, a reaction to Trump’s executive order stopping refugees and anyone from the seven majority islamic countries from entering the United States. A few days later Fox & Friends Morning invited Hafer to speak on the pledge. Orders for the coffee products spiked and BRCC had to hire more employees. In 2019, it grew to over 200 employees, of which 20% were vets. It currently has over 500 employees. More than half of its staff are military or connected to US law enforcement.

The brand’s increasing physical shops notably expanded its customer base, and the continued employment of veterans adds significantly to its stature. By 2019, the BRCC products were in stock in about 1,700 places across the United States. By March 2022, BRCC owned 18 locations though it had just 4 a year earlier. It targets increasing this number to 78 locations by the end of 2023. The company had $233 million in net sales in 2021. It attributes successful ventures and partnerships to its expansion as a business. 

The BRCC's growth also comes from its ventures in diverse merch such as gift items and a clothing line. The humanitarian efforts and controversies surrounding the brand have also raised the brand awareness of BRCC. This also contributes to their growing customer loyalty and base.

How does Black Rifle Coffee Company support veterans? 

The BRCC helps vets by providing work opportunities to retired military personnel or their family members. They also partner with organizations to generate funding and support for the training and welfare of veterans and communities. The company has a fund called the BRCC Fund for this purpose.

The BRCC Fund was established in 2021. The company set aside $5.3 million to kick-start the initiative. That same year, it had contributed $1.2 million in philanthropic efforts and $3 million worth of BRCC coffee and merch to military personnel on active duty and first responders.

Initially, the establishment prioritized veteran entrepreneurs by supporting veteran-founded or led small businesses. It also helped vets and first responders to bounce back from the impact of the pandemic lockdown.

Under the BRCC Community Grants Program, the fund pledged to provide $5,000 each week to veterans’ businesses, families, support initiatives, and conservation efforts. 

FAQs 

What is Black Rifle Coffee Company?

The Black Rifle Coffee Company is a premium coffee brand with outlets situated across the United States. US veteran, Evan Hafer, founded the company in 2014 and currently runs the establishment with his staff, comprising Mat Best, Tom Davin, Richard Ryan, Jarred Taylor, Andy Stumpf, Toby Johnson, Greg Iverson, and Dennis Adams, with over two hundred employees. 

The company positions itself as more than a coffee business. It doubles as a content brand that is shaping culture and giving vets, first responders, and their families the media publicity they deserve. They have built a track record of charitable endeavors to the US veteran community.

How did Black Rifle Coffee Company become so popular?  

The Black Rifle Coffee Company's popularity grew by the media publicity the brand received after it released the "How to be an American" video. BRCC sold out all its available products after they published the video. Two months later,  the team grew and relocated to a permanent office to administer the increased demand. 

BRCC’s popularity skyrocketed following the viral ISIS with Starbucks coffee meme on which Gary Stevens wrote their revenge pledge to hire $10,000 veterans. Harfe was invited on the Fox & Friends Morning Show to speak about their promise.

BRCC is also well-known for its exquisite blend of top-notch coffee, its apparel brand, and the contributions from its product sales. The job provisions for veterans, charitable activism,  and utmost focus on its goals made the company incredibly reputable.

What kind of coffee does Black Rifle Coffee Company roast? 

The beverage company creates its deluxe products from a variety of coffee beans, including:

  • Brazilian Arabica
  • Robusta beans
  • Colombian Arabica
  • Ethiopian coffee beans
  • American Arabica

The BRCC roasts the beans in varying degrees to create exotic blends, available in ground or whole bean forms and brewed by consumers in various ways.

What type of apparel does Black Rifle Coffee Company sell? 

The BRCC provides a wide array of clothing in their brand, which includes:

  • Shirts
  • Hoodies
  • Women’s Apparel
  • Hats
  • Men’s Apparel
  • Long sleeves

All products bear the Black Rifle Coffee Company label, with prices starting from $16.99.

What is the most popular roast from Black Rifle Coffee Company? 

The BRCC lists the Just Black Roast as its most famous coffee product at a $15.99 price. Similar bestseller roasts include:

Where can you purchase Black Rifle Coffee Company products? 

The BRCC has an online store, Black Rifle Coffee Company®, where its products are available and purchased. The brand also owns several branches and outlets across the United States for physical acquisition. Such locations are public on their site for easy proximity to the BRCC wares.

Does Black Rifle Coffee Company have any partnerships? 

The Black Rifle Coffee Company works with several organizations to help veterans and various communities with its resources. These companies include:

What is Black Rifle Coffee Company's stance on political issues? 

The coffee franchise supports pro-gun advocacy, the American military, and law enforcement and endorses social conservatism by encouraging family values and ties. Despite being pro-gun, the company detests gun violence and terror shootings as they believe in defending civilian lives and protecting communal spaces. 

While there are instances of radical actions with such parties bearing the company’s gear and a controversial skirmish with the Starbucks brand, the BRCC discourages extremist activities and makes a point to uphold its advertised values. The company’s founder has maintained that while they are pro-second amendment, pro-vet, and a quality coffee brand, they are "not a business that profits from tragedy."

After a police officer shot Jacob Blake, protests ensued in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, wearing BRCC gear, killed two and wounded one person in self-defense.

Though BRCC states it is not affiliated with any political party, Hafer voted for Trump in 2020. Trump sanctions the company.

What special features does Black Rifle Coffee Company offer? 

The Black Rifle Coffee Company offers several items, including:

  • A blog and podcast for up-to-date content on the brand’s activities
  • Subscriptions for its coffee club
  • Coffee bundles for customer’s preferred tastes
  • A funding outlet, BRCC Fund
  • Social media interactions on Instagram 
  • Best-selling merchandise 
  • Products from branded partnerships
  • Job listings
  • A physical site locator for proximal purchase venues

What type of customer service can you expect from Black Rifle Coffee Company? 

The BRCC offers quality service with the same pinpoint principle as military battlefield engagement. The brand aims to deliver customers’ demands with incredible precision and orderliness.

Takeaway

The Black Rifle Coffee Company is a venture that endeavors to impact the lives of veterans and communities with its products and services. Its members focus on meeting their goals and driving their ambition toward product delivery and customer service. 

Here at Capitalism.com, we love the brand story of Black Rifle Coffee Company so much that we invited Tom Davin to come speak at CapCon 6. He gave an inspiring talk that will help the founders who heard it to scale and build an extremely loyal customer base.

If Black Rifle Coffee Company’s story inspires you to build a brand that serves a very specific group of people you love, we’d love to help you! 

In fact, we’re on a mission of our own… to make one million new millionaires by 2028. We’d love YOU to be one of them!

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