Black Coffee Northwest
Black Coffee Northwest is a Black-owned nonprofit coffee shop and community hub in Shoreline, Washington, founded in 2020, selling ethically sourced coffee via retail, subscription, and wholesale while running youth entrepreneurship and women's empowerment programs for the local Seattle community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersShoreline, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Black Coffee Northwest does
Black Coffee Northwest is a Black-owned, family-owned nonprofit community enterprise founded in 2020 by Darnesha Bowman in Shoreline, Washington. It operates a single physical coffee shop that functions simultaneously as a retail location and a community hub, selling ethically sourced, expertly roasted whole-bean coffee both in-store and through a Shopify-based monthly subscription, a Square online store, and a wholesale/retail channel. Beyond coffee, the company runs structured education and empowerment programs: an 8-Week Youth Entrepreneurship Program for ages 11–18 (delivered in-person or virtually at schools, community centers, and youth groups) and the 10-week IGNITE Women's Empowerment Workshop, supplemented by an Internship Program and community events such as game nights and spoken-word experiences.
The business is mission-driven, prioritizing community impact over commercial scale, and is supported in part by donations, sponsorships, and an annual "Reparations Latte" campaign routed through its Square storefront. It has no proprietary technology platform; its digital infrastructure consists of commodity e-commerce tools (Shopify, Square) and standard organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok). Founder Darnesha Bowman is the principal leader and the recognized public face of the organization, having been named Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year by the King County Executive in 2023.
Black Coffee Northwest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black Coffee Northwest
- Legal name
- Black Coffee Northwest
- Website
- https://blackcoffeenw.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Black Coffee Northwest is a Black-owned nonprofit coffee shop and community hub in Shoreline, Washington, founded in 2020, selling ethically sourced coffee via retail, subscription, and wholesale while running youth entrepreneurship and women's empowerment programs for the local Seattle community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Black Coffee Northwest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Retail
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Coffee, Tea & Cacao Experiences (Roastery Tours, Tastings) (THAJAGAH)
Keywords
Where Black Coffee Northwest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shoreline
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Black Coffee Northwest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Coffee Retail Sales: Direct sales of whole bean and brewed coffee to consumers at the physical location and via e-commerce platforms.
- Monthly Coffee Subscription: Recurring monthly subscription for whole bean coffee delivered to subscribers through Shopify store.
- Programs and Workshops: Revenue from youth entrepreneurship programs and women's empowerment workshops. Includes the IGNITE 10-week workshop and 8-week youth entrepreneurship program.
- Donations and Sponsorships: Support through donations and program sponsorships to fund community initiatives and youth/artists programs.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Black Coffee Northwest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Black Coffee Northwest sells ethically sourced, expertly roasted specialty coffee through a physical Shoreline, WA coffee shop, an online Square storefront, and a monthly whole-bean subscription via Shopify. The company also delivers community education programs including the 10-week IGNITE Women's Empowerment Workshop and an 8-Week Youth Entrepreneurship Program for ages 11-18, offered in-person or virtually.
Product overview
Black Coffee Northwest operates as a community-focused coffee shop offering physical products and educational programs. The core product offering includes whole bean coffee sold through a monthly subscription service (Shopify-based). The company complements its coffee business with two community programs: the IGNITE Women's Empowerment Workshop (10-week program) and the 8-Week Youth Entrepreneurship Program for middle and high school students. The programs are offered in-person or virtually at schools, community centers, or youth groups.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Whole Beans Monthly Subscription Monthly subscription service that delivers ethically sourced, expertly roasted whole-bean coffee to subscribers, with a defined Shopify selling plan and variant. Targeted at individual consumers and coffee enthusiasts seeking fresh specialty coffee on a recurring basis.
- IGNITE Women's Empowerment Workshop A 10-week women's empowerment workshop designed to help participants uncover passion, embrace purpose, and live with positivity through guided coaching and community support. Targeted at women in the local community seeking personal growth, mentorship, and structured empowerment programming.
- 8-Week Youth Entrepreneurship Program An 8-week entrepreneurship training program for middle and high school youth ages 11-18 that equips participants with business fundamentals, financial literacy, leadership skills, and hands-on mentorship. Delivered in-person or virtually at schools, community centers, and youth groups.
Companies that use Black Coffee Northwest
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Black Coffee Northwest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Black Coffee Northwest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Sustainable/Fair Trade Coffee FarmerscoreBlack Coffee Northwest partners with coffee farmers who prioritize sustainable practices and fair trade principles. These partnerships ensure ethically sourced, high-quality beans while supporting farmer livelihoods and environmental sustainability.
- Local Artists and EntrepreneurscoreThe company actively supports and partners with local artists and entrepreneurs through its community space and programs, providing exposure and economic opportunities within the community.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Black Coffee Northwest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BLK & Bold: Black-owned specialty coffee and tea company selling direct-to-consumer via subscription and wholesale, with a mission-driven pledge to support youth-focused programs. Directly comparable as a Black-owned, mission-led, subscription-and-wholesale specialty coffee brand.
- Higher Grounds Trading Co. Specialty coffee roaster that pioneered the nonprofit-linked café model, directing proceeds to community development causes. Directly comparable to Black Coffee Northwest's model of using coffee commerce to fund community impact programs.
- Sip & Sonder: Black-owned specialty coffee shop with co-working, event, and community-wellness programming. Directly comparable to Black Coffee Northwest's combination of a specialty café with structured community/personal-development programming.
- Cafe Reconcile: New Orleans-based nonprofit café that operates a workforce training program for at-risk youth alongside a working restaurant. Directly comparable to Black Coffee Northwest's combination of a coffee shop plus youth training/empowerment programs as the social mission core of the business.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with deep sustainability, education, and training programs for the coffee industry. Comparable on specialty/ethically-sourced positioning and an explicit training/education mission layered onto the coffee business.
- Boon Boona Coffee: Seattle-area Black-owned specialty coffee roaster and café operator sourcing from African coffee-growing regions. Comparable as a Black-owned specialty coffee brand in the same Pacific Northwest market with café + wholesale/online distribution.
- Red Bay Coffee: Oakland-based Black-owned specialty coffee roaster and café operator with a strong social mission around equity in coffee. Closely comparable to Black Coffee Northwest on Black-owned positioning, specialty/ethically-sourced product, and café-plus-wholesale distribution model.
Emerging players
- Purpose Coffee Co. Black-owned specialty coffee brand with a stated mission to direct proceeds toward social causes. Comparable as a small, mission-driven Black-owned specialty coffee peer competing for the same values-driven consumer wallet.
Broad incumbents
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Nationwide specialty coffee chain operating cafés, subscription, and wholesale. Comparable as a specialty coffee operator competing in the same premium-bean, café-plus-subscription space, though at far larger scale and without a community-program focus.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Iconic Pacific Northwest specialty coffee roaster and café operator now owned by a major multinational. Comparable as a direct specialty coffee competitor in the Seattle market, but at substantially greater scale and with a purely commercial (non-mission-driven) positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Black Coffee Northwest social profiles
Digital presenceBlack Coffee Northwest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black Coffee Northwest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Black Coffee Northwest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black Coffee Northwest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Black Coffee Northwest
What does Black Coffee Northwest do?
Black Coffee Northwest sells ethically sourced, expertly roasted specialty coffee through a physical Shoreline, WA coffee shop, an online Square storefront, and a monthly whole-bean subscription via Shopify. The company also delivers community education programs including the 10-week IGNITE Women's Empowerment Workshop and an 8-Week Youth Entrepreneurship Program for ages 11-18, offered in-person or virtually.
Is Black Coffee Northwest a public or private company?
Black Coffee Northwest is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Black Coffee Northwest founded?
Black Coffee Northwest was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Black Coffee Northwest based?
Black Coffee Northwest is headquartered in Shoreline, United States, in the North America region.
How does Black Coffee Northwest make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Coffee Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are monthly Coffee Subscription, programs and Workshops and donations and Sponsorships.
Who are Black Coffee Northwest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BLK & Bold, Higher Grounds Trading Co., Sip & Sonder, Cafe Reconcile, Counter Culture Coffee, Boon Boona Coffee and Red Bay Coffee. Purpose Coffee Co. is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Blue Bottle Coffee and Stumptown Coffee Roasters.
Does Black Coffee Northwest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Black Coffee Northwest.
What industry is Black Coffee Northwest in?
Black Coffee Northwest's product category is Specialty Coffee Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAA, Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave), with a secondary code of CRADAHAG, Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean). Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.