What Door County Coffee & Tea does

Door County Coffee & Tea Co. is a privately held, family-owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 1993 by Vicki Wilson in Door County, Wisconsin, with co-founder Doug Wilson Sr. serving as CEO & CFO. The company roasts Specialty Class 1 Arabica beans (top 2% globally) in small batches using an air-roasting process engineered by Doug Wilson Sr., producing 100+ coffee varieties across flavored, single origin, blends, decaf, light/medium/dark roasts and seasonal SKUs in ground, whole bean, single-serve and cold brew formats. Complementary offerings include Harney & Sons tea, gourmet cocoa, and a curated assortment of local Wisconsin gourmet food (chocolate-covered cherries, jams, syrups, sauces), as well as coffee accessories.

The company makes money through three primary channels. First, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business at doorcountycoffee.com with a Subscribe & Save auto-delivery subscription (15% off, free shipping at $49), a rewards program, and a referral program ($20 give/get). Second, wholesale distribution to grocery stores, department stores, mass merchants, colleges, universities, hospitals, gift stores, premium restaurants and offices across 40+ states and 4,000+ locations, supported by a dedicated B2B portal at doorcountycoffeewholesale.com. Third, a physical café and retail store in Carlsville, Door County, offering breakfast and lunch with a drive-thru, complemented by $20/person Coffee 101 roasting facility tours.

Operationally, Door County Coffee employs 65+ staff across roasting, fulfillment, e-commerce, food service and café operations, with second-generation family members Doug Wilson Jr. (Director of Business Development) and Conrad Wilson (Plant Engineer) active in the business. The company sells consumer-direct nationwide and internationally via e-commerce, while wholesale is concentrated in the US Midwest and broader domestic market; revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the business is entirely family-owned with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity.

Name

Door County Coffee & Tea

Legal name

Door County Coffee & Tea Co.

Website

https://doorcountycoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Door County Coffee & Tea is a family-owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 1993 in Door County, Wisconsin, selling 100+ small-batch roasted coffee varieties direct-to-consumer online, through a Subscribe & Save subscription, and wholesale to 4,000+ retail locations across 40+ US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

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
• Gourmet coffee retail
• Coffee subscription service
• Wholesale coffee distribution
• Specialty food gifts

Headquarters

HQ city

Sturgeon Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Direct Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through doorcountycoffee.com with Subscribe & Save subscription program offering 15% discount and free shipping at $49
2. Wholesale Distribution: Sale of coffee products to grocery stores, department stores, mass merchants, colleges, universities, hospitals, gift stores, and premium restaurants across 40+ states and 4,000+ locations
3. Café and Retail Store: Physical café in Door County, Wisconsin serving breakfast and lunch with homemade bakery items, plus retail gift shop; drive-thru available
4. Coffee Tours: Coffee 101 Tours offered every Friday at 10:00 AM at roasting facility in Carlsville, Door County; $20 per person

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Door County Coffee & Tea is a family-owned specialty coffee roaster that small-batch air-roasts Specialty Class 1 Arabica beans into 100+ coffee varieties, sold directly to consumers through an e-commerce site with a Subscribe & Save subscription program. Beyond coffee, the company sells Harney & Sons tea, gourmet cocoa, and specialty food gifts (chocolate-covered cherries, sauces, syrups, jams), distributes wholesale to over 4,000 locations across 40+ states, and operates a café/retail store with drive-thru in Carlsville, Wisconsin.

Product overview

Door County Coffee & Tea is a small-batch, family-owned gourmet coffee roaster and online retailer founded in 1993, headquartered in Carlsville, Door County, Wisconsin. The company offers a single unified product portfolio centered on specialty coffee (100+ varieties in whole bean, ground, single-serve, and cold brew formats) complemented by Harney & Sons teas, gourmet cocoa, and specialty food items. Additional revenue streams include an on-site café/restaurant, a Subscribe & Save auto-delivery subscription (15% discount), a customer rewards program, and guided roasting facility tours. The company sells to consumers nationwide via e-commerce, to wholesale accounts in 40+ states, and operates a physical café with drive-thru in Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialty Coffee Small-batch air-roasted specialty coffee made with Specialty Class 1 Arabica beans (top 2% globally), offered in over 100 varieties including flavored, single origin/blends, light/medium/dark roasts, decaf, and seasonal offerings in whole bean, ground, single serve cup, and cold brew formats, sold to consumers, wholesale accounts, and café guests.
• Tea & Cocoa Harney & Sons tea sachets and teabags plus Door County Coffee's own gourmet cocoa line, including cocoa tins and single-mug packets, sold through the e-commerce site to consumers seeking premium non-coffee hot beverages.
• Gourmet Food & Pantry Specialty food assortment including chocolate-covered cherries, candy and confections, dried cherries, sauces and dressings, syrups, jams, pancake mixes, and drink syrups, sold through the website as gifts and pantry staples.
• Coffee Accessories Coffee-making equipment and branded merchandise including Toddy and Brew to a Tea cold brew makers, mugs, and other accessories supporting home brewing of Door County Coffee products.
• Café & Restaurant On-site café in Carlsville, Door County, Wisconsin serving homemade bakery items, breakfast (7:30am–11am), lunch (11am–3pm), espresso drinks, and offering drive-thru service to walk-in and drive-thru customers seven days a week.
• Sampler Packs Curated coffee sampling sets including Best Seller, Decaf, Spring/Summer, Fall, and Holiday flavor samplers designed for tasting events, variety discovery, and gifting.
• Coffee 101 Tour Guided tour of the Carlsville roasting facility offered every Friday at 10:00 AM, priced at $20 per person (12 spots per tour), including coffee sampling and education about the roasting process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 0g sugar, fat, and carbs per 6oz serving
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Harney & SonsminorOthersHarney & Sons tea products sold through Door County Coffee's website, including tea sachets and teabags
• Bea's Ho-Made ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Wisconsin gourmet food producer whose products are sold through Door County Coffee's gift and gourmet section
• Country Ovens Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGourmet food partner whose products are sold through Door County Coffee's gift and gourmet section
• Seaquist OrchardsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoor County-based cherry and fruit producer whose products are sold through Door County Coffee
• Door County ConfectioneryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal chocolate and confectionery producer whose products are sold through Door County Coffee's chocolate and sweets section

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kicking Horse Coffee: Canadian specialty coffee roaster with deep wholesale penetration across North American grocery and a strong e-commerce subscription business. Closely mirrors Door County's specialty positioning, multi-channel strategy, and SKU breadth.
• Stone Creek Coffee: Milwaukee-founded specialty roaster operating cafés, wholesale accounts, and an online store. Highly comparable in scale (mid-size private), Wisconsin regional heritage, and the exact DTC + wholesale + retail café model.
• Ruby Coffee Roasters: Wisconsin specialty coffee roaster with direct trade sourcing, a flagship roastery café, and wholesale distribution. Comparable on small-batch craft positioning, café-anchored brand, and family-scale operations.
• Colectivo Coffee: Wisconsin-based specialty coffee roaster with multi-channel operations spanning cafés, wholesale grocery and foodservice, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Closest peer given similar size, regional roots, third-wave specialty positioning, and café-plus-wholesale business model.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with sustainability-focused sourcing, direct trade programs, wholesale foodservice, training centers, and online DTC. Comparable on craft positioning, education-driven brand, and wholesale-plus-DTC mix.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and café operator with national DTC, wholesale foodservice, and branded cafés. Comparable multi-channel business model — though somewhat larger and more venture-backed, useful as a growth benchmark.

Broad incumbents

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Iconic third-wave specialty roaster (Peet's/LVMH-owned) with cafés, wholesale, and national DTC. Larger and better-capitalized, but operates the same DTC + café + wholesale playbook Door County aspires to scale.
• Caribou Coffee: Multi-channel specialty coffee company (roaster, cafés, grocery, K-cups, RTD) under JAB Holding ownership. Provides a broader-incumbent benchmark for what scaled specialty coffee looks like across grocery, foodservice, and retail channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/doorcountycoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/doorcountycoffee
• TikToktiktok.com/@doorcountycoffee
• Xx.com/dccoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Door County Coffee & Tea