Back of the Yards Coffee

What Back of the Yards Coffee does

Back of the Yards Coffee Co. is a privately held, founder-owned specialty coffee company founded in 2016 by Jesse Iñiguez in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood, positioned as one of the first vertically integrated Latine-owned coffee companies in the United States. The company sources green coffee directly from farmers in seven countries (Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Honduras, and Ethiopia) and roasts in small batches at its Grindhouse facility at 1613 W 47th Street, adjacent to the Goldblatts Coffeehouse retail café at 1621 W 47th Street. Its product portfolio includes four core roasted-coffee SKUs (Butcher's Blend Espresso, 47th Street Blend, Cuetlaxochitl, and D-Calf Decaf), four ready-to-drink cold brews in 64oz formats (Original, Café de Olla, Horchata, Xocolatte), three flavored syrups (Café de Olla, Horchata, Xoco Sauce in 750ml), and merchandise (mugs, airtight canisters, travel thermoses) plus digital gift cards. Operations are guided by a proprietary SEED Model covering Social Impact, Economic Development, Environmental Responsibility, and Direct Relationships.

Revenue is generated through five distinct streams: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce on a Shopify storefront with free U.S. shipping over $75, (2) the Cafeteros Coffee Club subscription offering weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly recurring delivery at a 10-15% discount with free shipping over $35, (3) in-store sales at the Goldblatts Coffeehouse (Monday-Friday 6am-6pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-5pm), (4) B2B wholesale via a formal application process, and (5) corporate catering through the #CoffeeForTeam offering of 10-12 serving boxes. An Uber Eats integration extends on-demand delivery within the Chicago area. Customer segments span individual coffee enthusiasts (primary), corporate/business customers, wholesale/reseller partners, and the surrounding Back of the Yards community. Distribution is U.S.-domestic only; international shipping is not offered.

The company is bootstrapped, having raised approximately $29,500 cumulatively through community crowdfunding ($17,000 in 2016), a FedEx Small Business Grant ($7,500 in 2018), and a Backing Small Businesses grant ($5,000 in 2023), with no institutional investors or parent company. Through its Social Impact Fund the business reinvests $1 from every 12oz bag sold into community organizations, totaling $68,355 through 2025 across five partner nonprofits. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees.

Name

Back of the Yards Coffee

Legal name

Back of the Yards Coffee Co.

Website

https://backoftheyardscoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Back of the Yards Coffee is a founder-owned, vertically integrated Latine-owned specialty coffee roaster and single-location coffeehouse in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood, founded 2016, serving U.S. DTC consumers, wholesale partners, and local community customers via e-commerce, subscription, retail, catering, and Uber Eats delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roaster

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Direct trade coffee
• Coffee subscription service
• Ready to drink cold brew
• Wholesale coffee distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of coffee beans, cold brew, syrups, and merchandise through their Shopify storefront. Products include fresh roasted coffee (47th St Blend, Butcher's Blend Espresso, Cuetlaxochitl, D-Calf Decaf), cold brew varieties, specialty syrups (Café de Olla, Horchata, Xoco Sauce), and merchandise (mugs, travel thermoses, canisters).
2. Coffee Subscription (Cafeteros Coffee Club): Recurring subscription service delivering coffee on weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly schedules. Offers 10-15% discount on subscription orders. Coffee shipped within two days of roasting for peak freshness.
3. Physical Coffeehouse Sales: In-store sales at Goldblatts Coffeehouse location serving hot/cold coffee beverages and food. Offers dine-in and pickup options. Coffeehouse open Monday-Friday 6am-6pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-5pm.
4. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale pricing offered to businesses, cafes, and organizations looking to resell Back of the Yards Coffee products. Contact through website form or email [email protected].
5. Catering Services: Corporate catering service (#CoffeeForTeam) providing boxes of 10-12 servings of coffee for meetings and events. Both delivery and in-store pickup options available.
6. E-Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available in $25, $50, and $100 denominations for online purchases. No expiration date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Back of the Yards Coffee roasts and sells specialty coffee direct-to-consumer through an online storefront, subscription service, and a single physical coffeehouse in Chicago. The portfolio includes small-batch roasted coffee beans, ready-to-drink cold brews, flavored syrups, branded merchandise, and digital gift cards, complemented by a wholesale program and corporate catering service.

Product overview

Back of the Yards Coffee is a vertically integrated, Latine-owned specialty coffee company founded in 2016, offering a portfolio of freshly roasted coffee products and accessories. The core offering centers on four main coffee blends (Butcher's Blend Espresso, 47th Street Blend, Cuetlaxochitl, and D-Calf Decaf) complemented by a line of ready-to-drink cold brews (Original, Cafe de Olla, Horchata, and Xocolatte variants in 64oz bottles), flavored syrups for home coffee enhancement (Cafe de Olla, Horchata, Xoco Sauce in 750ml bottles), and branded merchandise including mugs, travel thermos, and coffee storage canisters. The company operates the Cafeteros Coffee Club subscription service for recurring deliveries. Coffee is sourced through direct relationships with farmers in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Honduras, and Ethiopia, and roasted fresh in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cafeteros Coffee Club: Coffee subscription service offering weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly delivery of coffee beans to customers.

Products and services

• Butcher's Blend Espresso Medium dark roast espresso blend made from Colombian and Peruvian beans with tasting notes of honey, cocoa, and graham cracker; available in 8oz, 12oz, and 5lb sizes with whole, coarse, medium, or fine grind options for home and espresso preparation.
• 47th Street Blend Medium roast coffee crafted from Brazilian and Ethiopian beans with chocolate, nut, fruit, and floral tasting notes; sold in multiple sizes for home brewing.
• Cuetlaxochitl Coffee Festive holiday blend inspired by the Mexican poinsettia (Noche Buena) and infused with Mexican canela, offering a spicy, sweet, and aromatic flavor profile.
• D-Calf Decaf Colombian decaf blend decaffeinated naturally with sugarcane, featuring cocoa, tangerine, and sweet caramel notes with bright acidity.
• Original Cold Brew - 64oz Ready-to-drink cold brew made with ethically sourced beans, with full-bodied chocolate and caramel flavor profile, packaged in a 64oz container.
• Cafe de Olla Cold Brew - 64oz Cold brew inspired by traditional Mexican Café de Olla, combining coffee with cinnamon and piloncillo (unrefined brown sugar) for a medium roast, full-bodied drink in a 64oz container.
• Horchata Cold Brew - 64oz Cold brew infused with cinnamon, vanilla, and sweet rice, pairing bold coffee with traditional horchata creaminess in a 64oz container.
• Xocolatte Cold Brew - 64oz Cold brew with Mexican chocolate flavors featuring cocoa and warming spices, full-bodied with a rich, velvety texture and low acidity in a 64oz container.
• Cafe de Olla Syrup - 750 ml Traditional Mexican coffee syrup with cinnamon and piloncillo flavors in a 750ml bottle providing approximately 25 servings for home coffee enhancement.
• Horchata Syrup Syrup bringing authentic horchata flavor (cinnamon, vanilla, rice) to coffee drinks in a 750ml bottle.
• Xoco Sauce Syrup - 750 ml

Quantifiable outcome

• $68,355 reinvested into communities as of 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Street Vendors AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization receiving support from the Social Impact Fund. Invests in organizations promoting peace and education in Back of the Yards and beyond.
• Institute for Transformative Praxis (ITP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization receiving support from the Social Impact Fund. Invests in organizations promoting peace and education.
• Southwest CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization receiving support from the Social Impact Fund. Invests in organizations promoting peace and education.
• BraveSpace AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization receiving support from the Social Impact Fund. Invests in organizations promoting peace and education.
• A.G.C.C. Chicago (All-Girls Code Club)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization receiving support from the Social Impact Fund. Invests in organizations promoting peace and education.
• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling on-demand coffee delivery to customers through the Uber Eats platform.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Café Britt: Latin American coffee brand operating roastery-cafes and retail across multiple countries. Comparable for the Latin-heritage coffee positioning and roastery-cafe format, though at significantly larger scale.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Large specialty roaster with a national cafe network now owned by Nestle. Comparable as a vertically integrated roaster-cafe but operates at much broader scale and capital intensity.

Direct peers

• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty roaster built around direct-trade farmer relationships and sustainability. Comparable for sourcing philosophy and coffee-education-driven wholesale and cafe programs.
• Metropolis Coffee Company: Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster operating a cafe and serving wholesale accounts. Comparable for the roastery-plus-cafe model and Chicago specialty market overlap.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster known for pioneering direct trade and operating cafes in multiple cities. Comparable for the vertically integrated roaster-cafe model and direct farmer relationships.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with cafe locations and a direct-trade sourcing model. Comparable for the vertically integrated roaster-cafe structure and emphasis on ethical sourcing.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster with a network of cafes and direct-trade farmer relationships. Most directly comparable peer given shared city, third-wave positioning, and roastery-cafe model.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with cafes and a farm-to-cup sourcing narrative. Comparable for the small-batch roastery-cafe model and direct farmer engagement.
• Dark Matter Coffee: Chicago specialty roaster with cafes and a strong brand identity rooted in local culture. Comparable as a similarly sized, locally rooted, brand-driven Chicago roaster-cafe.

Emerging players

• Cuvée Coffee: Texas-based specialty coffee roaster with a wholesale and subscription focus. Comparable for the small-batch specialty model and direct-trade emphasis, but without the cafe/retail component.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheYards_Coffee
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@backoftheyardscoffeeco.5664?si=wVnWjhik2mu_WJCm
• Facebookfacebook.com/BackoftheYardsCoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/backoftheyardscoffeeco?igsh=MXhwbGs5enVuc3F6cA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• TikToktiktok.com/@backoftheyardscoffee?_t=ZT-8tVcOt7AwfK&_r=1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/back-of-the-yards-coffeehouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Back of the Yards Coffee