Andy Stumpf

Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) is a veteran-founded premium coffee company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, established in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret Evan Hafer. The firm specializes in small-batch, roast-to-order coffee blends, alongside energy drinks, apparel, and gear, with a stated mission to deliver high-quality products and culture to supporters of American values while committing proceeds to aid veterans, active-duty military personnel, and first responders.

BRCC has pursued aggressive expansion, including retail outposts and wholesale distribution, culminating in net revenue exceeding $391 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and preliminary fiscal year 2025 revenue of at least $395 million, reflecting a 9% year-over-year increase in its core wholesale segment driven by demand for packaged coffee. The company achieved public listing via a SPAC merger in 2021 and has forged partnerships such as becoming the official coffee of Army West Point Athletics in 2025, underscoring its alignment with military institutions. Notable for its pro-veteran hiring initiatives and patriotic marketing , BRCC has nonetheless encountered internal and external scrutiny, including a 2020 controversy involving a promotional video featuring Kyle Rittenhouse , after which executives distanced the brand from his actions by denouncing vigilantism , prompting backlash from segments of its conservative customer base who viewed the response as a capitulation to external pressures.

Black Rifle Coffee Company was founded in 2014 in Salt Lake City , Utah , by Evan Hafer, a former U.S. Army Green Beret with over 20 years of service, alongside fellow veterans including Jarred Taylor and Mat Best . Hafer, drawing from his Special Forces background, initiated the venture as a small-batch coffee roaster to address gaps in the market for high-quality coffee aligned with military values. The company's origins stemmed from Hafer's hands-on roasting experiments in his garage, applying disciplined, mission-oriented approaches honed in military operations to coffee production and entrepreneurship .

At its core, Black Rifle was established on principles of self-reliance and veteran support, rejecting what Hafer viewed as the politicized stances of mainstream brands like Starbucks , which in 2017 pledged to hire 10,000 refugees amid travel ban debates—a move Hafer publicly countered by committing Black Rifle to hire 10,000 veteran s instead. This reflected a broader founding ethos prioritizing pro-veteran hiring, ethical bean sourcing without virtue-signaling, and unapologetic promotion of American patriotism over corporate progressivism . Hafer emphasized causal connections between military discipline—such as rapid execution and adaptability—and business success, aiming to empower veterans through opportunities rather than dependency.

Early marketing leaned on Hafer's launch of the Black Rifle Coffee Podcast in 2019, which served as a platform to discuss veteran experiences, coffee craftsmanship, and cultural critiques, fostering community among pro-military audiences before widespread e-commerce expansion. The podcast 's raw, conversational style mirrored the company's rejection of sanitized corporate narratives, reinforcing founding commitments to authenticity and direct support for service members.

Black Rifle Coffee Company scaled operations rapidly after its 2014 founding, leveraging direct-to-consumer e-commerce and subscription-based sales models to drive revenue growth. By 2018, annual revenue reached $30 million, fueled by online distribution with limited wholesale partnerships. Revenue doubled to $82 million in 2019 , underscoring dominance in digital channels and customer retention through recurring coffee club subscriptions.