Dark Matter Coffee
Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster founded in 2007, operating 9 themed cafes (8 Chicago, 1 NYC), DTC e-commerce with nationwide shipping, subscriptions, B2B wholesale, bean-to-bar chocolate, and a record label, serving specialty coffee enthusiasts and wholesale partners with direct trade Latin American coffees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Dark Matter Coffee does
Dark Matter Coffee is a Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster founded in 2007 by Jesse Diaz, operating a vertically integrated multi-channel coffee business built around direct trade sourcing from farmers in Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico. The company roasts and distributes signature blends (Unicorn Blood espresso, A Love Supreme house blend), single-origin lots, and a portfolio of innovative processed coffees developed through proprietary methods spanning washed, honey, natural, and experimental fermentation techniques, including barrel aging in Malort and other spirit barrels in partnership with CH Distillery and experimental fermentation with Cashmere hops sourced from Half Acre Beer Co. Beyond roasting, the company operates nine themed retail cafe locations (eight in Chicago including a dedicated Sleep Walk Chocolateria, plus one NYC location on the Bowery opened in 2025), a nationwide DTC e-commerce site, a monthly subscription program with five SKU options, and a B2B wholesale program supplying cafes, offices, and event spaces with equipment consultation and training.
The business generates revenue across roasted coffee retail, ready-to-drink Coffee Cold canned beverages, the Sleep Walk bean-to-bar chocolate program (which won 2023 Silver and Bronze Chocolate Awards), branded merchandise and brewing equipment (including exclusive US distribution of Origami pour-overs), and Press Pot Recordings, an in-house vinyl record label operating since 2016. The customer base spans specialty coffee enthusiasts, music and art community members engaged through high-profile artist collaborations (Marky Ramone, Charlie Benante, The Hold Steady, The Cool Kids, Jamiah Rogers via Delmark Records), wholesale SMB partners, and chocolate connoisseurs. The company is privately held and bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding.
Dark Matter Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dark Matter Coffee
- Legal name
- Dark Matter Coffee
- Website
- https://darkmattercoffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster founded in 2007, operating 9 themed cafes (8 Chicago, 1 NYC), DTC e-commerce with nationwide shipping, subscriptions, B2B wholesale, bean-to-bar chocolate, and a record label, serving specialty coffee enthusiasts and wholesale partners with direct trade Latin American coffees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dark Matter Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Roasting
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Coffee, Espresso & Tea Appliances Retail (CRACADAC), Specialty Coffee Adjacent Beverage Bars (Chai, Cacao, Alternative Lattes) (THAFAKAH)
Keywords
Where Dark Matter Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Dark Matter Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Roasted Coffee Retail: Sale of whole bean and ground coffee through e-commerce with nationwide shipping. Includes signature blends (Unicorn Blood, A Love Supreme), single origins, collaborations, and limited monthly releases. Products sold in 12oz bags ($22-27) and 1kg bags ($55).
- Coffee Subscriptions: Monthly recurring coffee deliveries with 5 subscription options including Unicorn Blood, A Love Supreme, Starry Eyes, Decaf, and rotating Limited Monthly Blend. Customers save up to 15% versus one-time purchases.
- Coffee Cold (Ready-to-Drink): Heat extracted and flash chilled iced coffee in 8-pack quantities shipped nationwide. Portfolio includes Chocolate City, Black Splash, Brown Acid, Vanilla Suburbs, Unicorn Blood, and rotating collaborations. 100% coffee, no sweeteners, vegan.
- Sleep Walk Chocolate: Award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate including drinking chocolate pucks, chocolate bars (Trinitario, Miel y Chiltepe, El Vado, Barra De La Casa, Picante), and specialty collaborations with local breweries.
- Merchandise and Equipment: Branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware (YETI Rambler, ceramic mugs, glass mugs), brewing equipment (Origami pour-overs, Hario filters, Bonavita kettles), vinyl records, stickers, and accessories.
- Wholesale B2B: B2B wholesale program supplying cafes, offices, and event spaces with coffee products, equipment, training, and consultation services. Products include 12oz and 5lb bags, draft/canned cold coffee, and full chocolate program.
- Press Pot Recordings: Record label releasing vinyl records and mixtapes since 2016. Exclusive splatter vinyl variants, collaborations with artists, and cassette releases tied to coffee products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 12oz Coffee Bags |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 1kg Coffee Bags |
| Subscription | Monthly | Coffee Subscriptions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee Cold 8-Pack |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sleep Walk Chocolate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise and Equipment |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Dark Matter Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dark Matter Coffee roasts and sells specialty-grade direct trade coffee (signature blends, single origins, limited collaborations), ready-to-drink cold coffee, and award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate through nine themed cafes, a nationwide e-commerce site, monthly subscriptions, and a B2B wholesale program. The company also operates the Press Pot Recordings vinyl label as an in-house cultural extension.
Product overview
Dark Matter Coffee is a Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster founded in 2007, operating a multi-faceted coffee business. The product portfolio centers on core coffee offerings (Unicorn Blood Espresso Blend and A Love Supreme House Blend), a ready-to-drink Coffee Cold line (Chocolate City, Black Splash, Brown Acid, Vanilla Suburbs), the Sleep Walk Chocolateria bean-to-bar chocolate program, and equipment/accessories (Origami pour-overs, kettles). The company operates nine cafe locations in Chicago and NYC, offers wholesale programs for B2B partners, monthly subscriptions, and runs Press Pot Recordings vinyl record label. Collaboration products include artist partnerships (Marky Ramone, Charlie Benante, Robin Eisenberg, Jimbob Isaac), musician collaborations (The Hold Steady, Jamiah Rogers, The Cool Kids), and barrel-aged experimental coffees using spirits like Malort and Rumple Minze. The company focuses on direct trade relationships with farmers in Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico, with emphasis on fermentation experiments and innovative roasting techniques.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sleep Walk Chocolateria: Award-winning chocolate products including drinking chocolate, chocolate bars, and related items.
- Coffee Cold
- Press Pot Recordings
Products and services
- Signature and Specialty Coffee Blends Roasted whole-bean and ground specialty coffee sold in 12oz ($22-$35) and 1kg bags ($55), available for direct purchase via the e-commerce site and in cafes. Includes signature Latin American blends, decaf, dark roast, and rotating limited/collaboration editions.
- Coffee Cold (Ready-to-Drink) Ready-to-drink iced coffee in 8-pack cans ($36 per 8-pack, 7.5oz cans), 100% coffee with no sweeteners or preservatives, shipped nationwide. Includes rotating limited editions and musician collaborations.
- Coffee Subscription Service Monthly scheduled coffee delivery offering up to 15% savings versus one-time purchases. Available in five rotating blends delivered fresh-roasted with whole-bean or grind options.
- Sleep Walk Chocolateria (Bean-to-Bar Chocolate) Craft bean-to-bar chocolate sold through retail and wholesale channels, including drinking chocolate ($4 single or $15-$16 four-pack), bars ($8-$10 each), and brewery-collaboration barrel-aged editions. Recognized with Silver (Picante) and Bronze (El Vado, Barra De La Casa) at the 2023 Chocolate Awards.
- Brewing Equipment and Drinkware Coffee brewing equipment and branded drinkware sold via e-commerce and wholesale, including Origami pour-overs ($42-$45), Bonavita kettles ($85), YETI Ramblers ($46), Hario filters ($9.25), and ceramic mugs ($15-$16).
- Wholesale Coffee Program B2B wholesale supply program offering roasted coffee in 12oz and 5lb formats, ready-to-drink cold coffee on draft (kegs/sixtels) or cans, brewing equipment consultation, and partner training services for cafes, offices, and event venues.
- Press Pot Recordings (Vinyl Record Label) Record label releasing limited-edition vinyl records ($15-$36) and cassettes tied to artist collaborations and DMC Sessions live recordings, operated as a wholly-owned sub-brand.
- Dark Matter Coffee Cafes Specialty coffee cafes serving espresso, pour-over, cold coffee, and signature drinks across nine individually themed locations in Chicago (8) and New York City (1), with mobile ordering via Toasttab.
- Gift Cards Gift cards available online for e-commerce purchases and in-store at Chicago cafe locations, in multiple denominations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Direct trade relationships with farmers in Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico spanning over a decade
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Dark Matter Coffee
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dark Matter Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Dark Matter Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Marky RamonecoreCollaboration with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Marky Ramone on Bowery Beat coffee blend and merchandise. A portion of proceeds supports the Bowery Beat Foundation for music education in NYC public schools.
- The Hold SteadycoreCollaboration celebrating the 20th anniversary of Boys and Girls in America album. Exclusive coffee blend and cold coffee cans released for their Chicago residency.
- The Cool KidsminorCollaboration with hip hop duo (Sir Michael Rocks & Chuck Inglish) for Coffee Cold can release in celebration of Closed Sessions' Legends in Conversation event.
- Delmark RecordscorePartnership with Chicago-based blues/jazz record label for Jamiah Rogers Chicago Cowboy blend celebrating blues guitarist's new album release.
- Charlie BenantecoreCollaboration with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante on The Devil You Know dark roast blend. Heavy metal themed coffee with bold flavors.
- Press Pot RecordingscoreIn-house record label releasing vinyl records and mixtapes since 2016. Exclusive splatter vinyl variants with artists including The Black Angels, Jon Langford, RJD2, and Derrick Carter.
- Half Acre Beer Co.coreHops supplier for experimental fermentation coffee processing. DMC sources Cashmere hops from Half Acre for Fuego coffee fermentation experiments.
- CH DistillerycoreSupplier of Malort barrels for barrel aging coffee program. CH Distillery revived Jeppson's Malort production in Chicago in 2018.
- FetcocorePreferred brewer equipment partner for wholesale program. Strong relationship ensures technical expertise for installation and troubleshooting.
- BunncorePreferred grinder equipment partner for wholesale program.
- Sleep Walk Half Acre Beer Co. BenthicminorBarrel-aged chocolate bar collaboration with Half Acre Beer Co., featuring their Benthic beer for barrel aging.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dark Matter Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with direct trade sourcing and a comparable blend of DTC, wholesale, and cafe retail. Closest geographic and conceptual peer to Dark Matter.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Portland-origin specialty roaster operating cafes, wholesale, and DTC nationally with a similar direct-trade and distinctive brand identity approach. Comparable multi-channel specialty coffee business at larger scale.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster focused on sustainability, direct trade, and education with strong wholesale and training programs. Mirrors Dark Matter's emphasis on origin transparency and wholesale partner training.
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with cafes, wholesale, and a flagship RTD draft latte line. Direct comparable for Dark Matter's Coffee Cold portfolio and multi-channel operating model.
- Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland specialty roaster with cafes and wholesale, focused on single-origin and direct trade coffees. Comparable in size and product philosophy to Dark Matter.
- Verve Coffee Roasters: California specialty roaster with cafes, DTC subscriptions, and wholesale. Comparable multi-channel specialty coffee brand with similar price points and direct trade sourcing.
- Onyx Coffee Lab: Arkansas-based specialty roaster recognized for competition-grade coffees with cafes, DTC, and wholesale. Comparable premium positioning and craft-focused operations.
Broad incumbents
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Oakland-born specialty coffee brand with national cafe footprint, DTC, and wholesale. Larger and more capitalized but operates in the same specialty cafe-roaster category.
Regional players
- Colectivo Coffee: Milwaukee-based specialty roaster and cafe operator serving the Upper Midwest with a similar cafe-plus-wholesale-plus-DTC model. Comparable regional specialty coffee peer.
- Big Shoulders Coffee: Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster serving wholesale and DTC. Direct geographic competitor for cafe and wholesale accounts in the Chicago market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dark Matter Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceDark Matter Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dark Matter Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Dark Matter Coffee subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Dark Matter Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dark Matter Coffee 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 Dark Matter Coffee
What does Dark Matter Coffee do?
Dark Matter Coffee roasts and sells specialty-grade direct trade coffee (signature blends, single origins, limited collaborations), ready-to-drink cold coffee, and award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate through nine themed cafes, a nationwide e-commerce site, monthly subscriptions, and a B2B wholesale program. The company also operates the Press Pot Recordings vinyl label as an in-house cultural extension.
Is Dark Matter Coffee a public or private company?
Dark Matter Coffee is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dark Matter Coffee founded?
Dark Matter Coffee was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dark Matter Coffee based?
Dark Matter Coffee is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dark Matter Coffee make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Roasted Coffee Retail is the primary driver. The others are coffee Subscriptions, coffee Cold (Ready-to-Drink), sleep Walk Chocolate, merchandise and Equipment, wholesale B2B and press Pot Recordings.
Who are Dark Matter Coffee's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Intelligentsia Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Counter Culture Coffee, La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Heart Coffee Roasters, Verve Coffee Roasters and Onyx Coffee Lab. Blue Bottle Coffee is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Colectivo Coffee and Big Shoulders Coffee.
Does Dark Matter Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dark Matter Coffee.
What industry is Dark Matter Coffee in?
Dark Matter Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Roasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAE, Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes), with a secondary code of AFAFADAJ, Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.