Unapologetic Coffee

What Unapologetic Coffee does

Unapologetic Coffee Co. is a privately held, minority- and women-owned specialty coffee roastery headquartered at 1375 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, founded in 2021 by twin sisters Alicia Officer (CEO) and Alisa Officer (COO). The company roasts 100% Arabica single-origin and blend coffees on a Bellwether zero-emission electric roaster in small batches, sourcing directly from micro-lot family and collective farms across Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Peru, with explicit focus on representation of Black and Brown producers in the specialty coffee supply chain. Its product line includes seven core SKUs (I Said What I Said medium roast, Flow dark roast, Hustle light roast, Black Mixed With Black extra dark, Hey Doc! Swiss Water decaf, a Trio Bundle, and a single-serve compostable line) plus drinkware, apparel, gift cards, and a curated brew-gear catalog featuring CHEMEX, Fellow Stagg, and the Ode Brew Grinder.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model: a Shopify-hosted DTC e-commerce storefront with national US shipping (including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico) and Recharge-powered Subscribe & Save subscriptions and gift subscriptions; two physical cafés in Buffalo at 899 Main St (inside Best Self) and 1901 Main St (inside Canisius University), the latter operating as a captive campus channel open to the public during the academic year; and a wholesale layer that includes a channel partnership with First Choice for office coffee delivery with machine setup and one-week free trial, plus direct vendor relationships with restaurants and cafés. Pricing spans $13 for an 8oz bag up to $350 for the Ottomatic 2.0 brewer, with a $49 free-shipping threshold, custom on-demand roasting, and 5-7 business day fulfillment.

The company is bootstrapped with a single disclosed $100,000 seed investment from the Buffalo Innovation Seed Fund in September 2023, has a team of 1-10 employees, and has built regional brand awareness through earned media coverage from Buffalo News, Spectrum News, WIVB, WGRZ, WKBW, Buffalo Magazine, and the Buffalo Sabres, alongside active social channels on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

Name

Unapologetic Coffee

Legal name

Unapologetic Coffee

Website

https://unapologeticcoffee.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unapologetic Coffee Co. is a Buffalo-based, minority- and women-owned specialty coffee roaster founded by twin sisters in 2021, selling small-batch direct-trade coffee via Shopify DTC, two Buffalo cafés (including a Canisius University location), and wholesale office and hospitality channels across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Small batch coffee
• Direct trade coffee
• Brew equipment retail
• Coffee subscription service

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Coffee Sales: Online sales of specialty coffee beans through Shopify storefront. Offers one-time purchases and subscription options. Products include various roasts in multiple sizes from 8oz to 5lb.
2. Brew Equipment and Accessories: Sale of brew gear including CHEMEX products, Fellow Stagg kettles, Ode Brew Grinder, and accessories like filters and mugs.
3. Wholesale/Office Coffee: Partnership with First Choice for office coffee delivery. Also supplies coffee to restaurants, cafes, and offices.
4. Subscription Services: Stay Unapologetic gift subscription with 3, 6, or 12 month options delivering 16oz per month with free shipping.
5. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available in various denominations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Unapologetic Coffee is a woman- and minority-owned small batch specialty coffee roaster based in Buffalo, NY, that direct-imports 100% Arabica beans from family-owned and collective micro-lot farms, roasts them on-site using a zero-emission Bellwether electric roaster, and sells them direct-to-consumer via a Shopify storefront with subscription options. The company also operates café locations in Buffalo and supplies wholesale coffee to offices (through First Choice) and to restaurants and cafés.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• I Said What I Said (signature medium roast) Unapologetic Coffee's signature medium roast specialty coffee, available in 8oz, 16oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes, with Subscribe & Save 10% off. Sold direct-to-consumer via the Shopify storefront.
• Flow (dark roast) Single origin Brazilian dark roast specialty coffee with notes of molasses, dried cherry, and chocolate, available in 8oz, 16oz, 2lb, and 5lb sizes via the Shopify storefront.
• Hustle (light roast) Direct trade Ethiopian light roast specialty coffee with notes of citrus, lime, and orange blossom honey, sold via the Shopify storefront.
• Black Mixed With Black (extra dark roast) Extra dark Sumatra specialty coffee with spice and earthy full-bodied notes, wet hulled process, sold via the Shopify storefront.
• Hey Doc! (decaf coffee) Swiss Water decaffeinated coffee from Peru with notes of nutmeg, toasted almonds, and maple syrup, sold via the Shopify storefront.
• Trio Bundle Bundled package containing all three single origin coffees (Hustle, Flow, and I Said What I Said) in 8oz packages, priced at $33.00 (was $39.00).
• Single Serve Coffee Box Single-serve specialty coffee in 100% compostable packaging, in Single box (8), Double box (16), and Bulk box (40) options, compatible with pour over and Keurig machines. Packaged on-site in partnership with Pour Ta Coffee.
• CHEMEX Brew Equipment Retail sale of CHEMEX coffee brewers including the Funnex Coffeemaker ($40), Three Cup Classic ($45), Six Cup Classic ($50), and Ottomatic 2.0 ($350).
• Fellow Stagg Kettles Retail sale of Fellow Stagg pour-over kettles including the Stagg EKG Pro 0.9L (from $195) and Stagg Pour-Over Kettle 1L ($85).
• Ode Brew Grinder Fellow Ode Brew Grinder retail sale at $299.00.
• Drinkware Branded Unapologetic Coffee drinkware including the Stay Unapologetic Mug ($20) and Stay Unapologetic Travel Mug.
• Apparel & Accessories (OG Unapologetic Pin) Branded apparel and accessories including the OG Unapologetic Pin priced at $9.20 (was $10.00).
• Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards in various denominations, including the Unapologetically You card (from $5.00) and Stay Unapologetic card (from $64.80).
• Stay Unapologetic Gift Subscription Recurring specialty coffee gift subscription delivering 16oz per month with free shipping, available in 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month (best value) terms.
• Wholesale/Office Coffee Program B2B wholesale coffee supply for offices (via First Choice partnership, with machine setup, professional service, and a one-week free trial) and direct wholesale to restaurants, cafés, and non-profits through the vendor resale program.
• Café Service (899 Main St and Canisius University) In-person café service and retail at two Buffalo, NY locations: 899 Main St inside Best Self (Mon-Fri 7a-4p, Sat 8a-4p, Sun 9a-3p) and 1901 Main St inside Canisius University (open to public during academic year, Mon-Fri 7a-5p).

Quantifiable outcome

• Ships to entire United States including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• New Era CapminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 March 2023Featured by New Era Cap for International Women's Day 2023, celebrating women-owned businesses and entrepreneurship.
• Buffalo SabresminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 January 2022Featured by Buffalo Sabres NHL team in their 'Changing the Narrative' segment, highlighting the company's mission in the specialty coffee industry.
• First ChoicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with First Choice, one of the nation's top office coffee and water service providers. First Choice delivers Unapologetic Coffee straight to offices with machine setup and professional service. Includes one-week free trial for new office customers.
• Pour Ta CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with female-owned company Pour Ta Coffee for single-serve coffee packaging. Unapologetic Coffee partners with them to package single-serve filters - 100% compostable options sealed on-site. Each single serve works with traditional pour over methods and Keurigs alike.
• Canisius UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-campus café location partnership at 1901 Main St inside Canisius University. Café is open to the public during the academic year.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty small-batch coffee roaster with DTC subscription, cafés, and national wholesale. Closest direct comparable in model (DTC + cafés + wholesale specialty) and scale aspiration, though significantly larger and venture/strategic-backed.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Iconic Portland-based specialty roaster with DTC, wholesale, and cafés. Comparable in single-origin and direct-trade emphasis and in the DTC-plus-wholesale-plus-café business model Unapologetic is pursuing.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster focused on sustainability, transparency, and direct trade with wholesale to cafés and offices. Highly comparable mission and channel mix, particularly the B2B/wholesale emphasis.
• Driftaway Coffee: Subscription-first specialty coffee roaster selling single-origin beans directly to consumers via online storefront. Closest peer in subscription-DTC specialty model and order size/scale.
• Trade Coffee Company: Online marketplace and subscription service for specialty coffee from multiple roasters. Comparable in subscription DTC mechanics and specialty positioning, though operates as a marketplace rather than a single roaster.
• Philz Coffee: Specialty coffee company combining DTC retail with a growing café footprint. Comparable in DTC-plus-café hybrid model and small-batch craft positioning.

Emerging players

• Black Rifle Coffee Company: Mission- and identity-driven specialty coffee brand with strong DTC and subscription business. Comparable in brand-led differentiation and subscription-heavy model, though with much larger scale and capital.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Specialty roaster known for direct trade, single-origin sourcing, and competition-grade coffee. Comparable in single-origin emphasis and craft positioning, with a similarly small team scale.

Regional players

• Tim Hortons (US operations): Coffee QSR with strong presence in Western New York/Buffalo region. Comparable only as regional coffee footprint competition for the Buffalo café locations.

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Large specialty coffee roaster and café operator with national DTC, wholesale, and grocery distribution. Comparable as an incumbent competitor across wholesale and DTC, but at substantially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ucoffeeus
• Facebookfacebook.com/unapologeticcoffeeus/?ref=page_internal
• Instagraminstagram.com/unapologeticcoffeeus
• TikToktiktok.com/404?fromUrl=/f@unapologeticcoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unapologeticcoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unapologetic Coffee