What Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters does

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters (DOCR) is a family-owned specialty coffee company founded in 2009 in Rochester, Michigan. It operates four company-owned cafés across Southeast Michigan (Rochester since 2009, Detroit since 2015, Royal Oak since 2018, and Ferndale since 2023) and an integrated back-of-house comprising a 12-kilo Probat roastery, in-house bakery producing cheesecakes and pastries, and a Training Lab housed inside the ~9,000-square-foot Ferndale headquarters. The product portfolio centers on single-origin specialty coffees sourced from named estates (Costa Rica Aquiares Estate, Ecuador Hacienda La Papaya, Colombia Luis Aníbal Calderón Pink Bourbon, Peru Geisha Natural) via a multi-importer network (Red Fox, Cafe Imports, Onyx, Ally Coffee), sold in cafés, online at docr.coffee, through auto-renewing subscriptions, and to 42+ wholesale partners across Michigan and the Midwest.

DOCR makes money across seven reinforcing revenue streams: in-café beverage and bakery sales, direct e-commerce coffee and merchandise, recurring coffee subscriptions, a B22 wholesale program that includes equipment procurement (La Marzocco, Slayer, Mahlkonig, Baratza) and barista training, an in-house bakery serving cafés and catering, off-site mobile espresso and pour over bar services for events, and a paid professional education division (DOCR Academy) layered over free community Open Mic Nights and public classes. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven rather than performance-marketing-led: weekly Open Mic Nights at each café, Detroit Coffee Week (founded by DOCR in 2024 with SCA backing), and an education program function as both customer acquisition and customer retention infrastructure, while a dedicated Director of Sales + Education drives wholesale growth.

The company is run by the Hamood family with Nathan Hamood (President + Director of Coffee) at the operational helm. The leadership team includes department heads for sales, education, finance, retail operations, drink innovation, and bakery. Recent indicators of momentum include consecutive Hour Detroit Best Coffee Shop awards (2023-2025), Hour Detroit Best Coffee Brand (2025), Roast Magazine Roaster of the Year finalist (2026), four Golden Bean Awards, and America's Best Espresso 2nd Place (2017). DOCR remains privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters

Legal name

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters

Website

https://docr.coffee

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters is a family-owned specialty coffee company operating four cafés across Southeast Michigan, with an integrated roastery, in-house bakery, wholesale program, and professional education division. It serves retail coffee enthusiasts, B2B wholesale partners, and education customers with single-origin coffees, recurring subscriptions, and credentialed barista training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roaster and Café Operator

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Single-origin coffee
• Coffee education services
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Café and bakery operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Café Sales: In-café beverage and food sales across four Southeast Michigan locations. Offerings include espresso-based drinks, batch brew, pour overs, tea, specialty seasonal drinks, cheesecakes, pastries, crepes (Royal Oak only), and breakfast items. Each café hosts weekly Open Mic Nights to drive foot traffic.
2. Online Coffee Subscriptions: DOCR Coffee Subscriptions deliver 340g of freshly roasted coffee on customer-selected schedules (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, every 2 or 3 months). The Mirage Coffee Club text-to-order service provides early access to limited and small-batch releases. Subscriptions are auto-renewed with no obligation.
3. E-Commerce Direct Sales: Online storefront selling single-origin coffees (12oz and 5lb), merchandise, coffee equipment, and gift cards. Free shipping on orders over $100. Coffee ships Mondays and Thursdays; in-store pickup available at all four locations.
4. Wholesale Coffee and Equipment Partnerships: B2B wholesale program supplying coffee beans, equipment procurement, training, and education services to specialty coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, gift shops, offices, and churches. Provides 5lb bulk increments and unlimited retail bags. Equipment brands supplied include Hario, Mahlkonig, Baratza, Simonelli, Fetco, Slayer, and La Marzocco.
5. In-House Bakery (Cheesecake and Pastry Wholesaling): In-house bakery operates from Ferndale HQ, producing cheesecakes and pastries. Whole cheesecakes and pastry bundles can be pre-ordered for events. Cheesecake is available by the slice at cafés and whole for events/catering.
6. Education Services (Consulting, Training, Classes): DOCR Academy offers paid professional courses ($895 for full-day masterclasses) and the Education Department offers public classes and Open Lab Hours on Eventbrite. Wholesale partners receive complimentary onboarding training plus optional paid consulting. Gift cards for education classes available ($25–$200 value).
7. Events and Catering: Off-site mobile Espresso and Pour Over Bar for weddings, corporate events, team building, and conferences. Private events hosted at Ferndale Café + HQ event space. Educational events and team-building classes. Revenue from event-based service delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters (DOCR) is a specialty coffee roaster and multi-location café operator that roasts its own single-origin coffees on a 12-kilo Probat drum roaster and serves them across four Southeast Michigan cafés (Rochester, Detroit, Royal Oak, Ferndale HQ). The company also operates an in-house bakery producing cheesecakes and pastries, sells coffee, merchandise, equipment, and gift cards via its e-commerce storefront, runs recurring coffee subscriptions and the Mirage Coffee Club text-to-order service, and offers professional coffee education through DOCR Academy along with public classes and Open Lab Hours at the Ferndale Training Lab.

Product overview

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters (DOCR) is a specialty coffee company operating as a multi-location café chain with an integrated roasting operation. The core product offering centers on single-origin specialty coffees available through four café locations (Rochester, Detroit, Royal Oak, Ferndale), an e-commerce shop, subscription services (DOCR Coffee Subscriptions, Mirage Coffee Club), and wholesale partnerships. Supporting offerings include an in-house bakery producing cheesecakes and pastries, branded merchandise, coffee equipment retail, gift cards, and event catering services. The company has expanded into professional education through DOCR Academy (intensive certification courses) and public-facing classes/Open Lab Hours, as well as B2B consulting and wholesale programs for coffee businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mirage Coffee Club: Text-to-order coffee service offering early access to limited, small-batch, roaster-selected coffee releases.
• DOCR Academy
• DOCR

Products and services

• Single-Origin Specialty Coffee (Retail) Rotating selection of specialty single-origin coffees sourced from international producers, available in multiple roast profiles (house, espresso) and processing methods (washed, natural, honey, experimental). Packaged in 12oz retail bags and 5lb wholesale increments.
• DOCR Coffee Subscriptions

Quantifiable outcome

• Hour Detroit Best Coffee Shop — 2023, 2024, 2025 (consecutive)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• La MarzoccocoreTechnology or IntegrationLa Marzocco is a premier espresso machine manufacturer. DOCR is a top reseller in the Midwest region for La Marzocco equipment, supplying and installing La Marzocco machines for wholesale partner cafés and their own café operations. The partnership extends to booth collaborations at World of Coffee Expo.
• Slayer EspressocoreTechnology or IntegrationSlayer Espresso is a high-end espresso machine brand. DOCR serves as a top Midwest reseller for Slayer, recommending and supplying Slayer machines to wholesale partner cafés and using them in their own training lab. DOCR also partnered with Slayer for booth presence at World of Coffee Expo.
• MahlkonigcoreTechnology or IntegrationMahlkonig is a leading commercial coffee grinder manufacturer. DOCR supplies Mahlkonig grinders to wholesale partners as part of their equipment procurement services for café buildouts.
• BaratzacoreTechnology or IntegrationBaratza is a specialty coffee grinder brand. DOCR supplies Baratza grinders to wholesale partner cafés as part of their equipment consulting and procurement program.
• Ally CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlly Coffee is a specialty coffee importer. DOCR imports coffee through Ally Coffee, sourcing from farms like Costa Rica Aquiares Estate. The partnership enables DOCR's access to exceptional single-origin coffees with shared commitment to sustainability, equity, and innovation.
• Red Fox Coffee MerchantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Fox Coffee Merchants is a specialty green coffee importer. DOCR works with Red Fox as one of their primary coffee importers for sourcing high-quality single-origin lots.
• Cafe ImportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCafe Imports is a major specialty coffee importer. DOCR sources coffees through Cafe Imports as part of their multi-importer sourcing strategy.
• Onyx Coffee LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnyx Coffee Lab is a specialty coffee importer and roasting company. DOCR has sourced coffees through Onyx as part of their importer network.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCA is the global trade organization for specialty coffee. DOCR pioneered and hosted the first Detroit Coffee Week backed by SCA in July 2024. DOCR educators hold internal coffee certifications aligned with SCA standards.
• Eli Tea BarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEli Tea Bar in Birmingham, MI is DOCR's tea supplier. DOCR sources all loose-leaf and matcha tea from Eli Tea Bar for use in their café beverage programs. This is a local supply partnership supporting DOCR's tea menu.
• Guernsey Farms DairyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuernsey Farms Dairy supplies ice cream and milk used in DOCR's Royal Oak location for making crepes.
• NY BagelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNY Bagel in Ferndale supplies bagels to DOCR's Detroit and Ferndale café locations, served with cream cheese and vegan butter options.
• Iggy's EggiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIggy's Eggies supplies breakfast burritos to DOCR's Royal Oak and Ferndale locations, available daily from open until 2pm. Options include Pork Chorizo and Plant-Based Sausage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Counter Culture Coffee: Sustainability-focused specialty roaster with a national wholesale program, barista training, and education. Direct peer on the training/education-as-moat strategy and wholesale-to-cafés model, though without DOCR's company-owned retail footprint.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Chicago-based third-wave roaster with direct-trade sourcing, cafés, and a strong wholesale and education program. Direct peer on single-origin program, barista training, and wholesale-to-cafés model; geography (Midwest) also closely comparable.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Nestlé-owned third-wave specialty roaster with cafés, subscriptions, and wholesale. Direct peer on third-wave positioning and multi-channel model; serves as the upper bound on scale DOCR could reach if it pursued aggressive expansion.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with company-owned cafés, wholesale program, and DTC e-commerce. Closely comparable to DOCR as a vertically integrated third-wave roaster operating both retail cafés and B2B wholesale, though at materially larger scale.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Iconic third-wave specialty roaster with cafés, wholesale, and subscriptions. Direct peer on product offering (single-origin coffees, espresso program) and target market (specialty coffee enthusiasts), with significantly larger national footprint and Peet's ownership.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: West Coast specialty roaster and café operator with single-origin focus, e-commerce, and wholesale. Direct peer on product offering, café-retail-plus-wholesale business model, and brand-led premium positioning; comparable in scale to DOCR.
• Onyx Coffee Lab: Award-winning specialty roaster with cafés, competition-grade baristas, and a sourcing relationship with DOCR. Direct peer on single-origin focus, competition pedigree, and wholesale distribution, with an even heavier emphasis on competition-driven brand-building.
• Heart Coffee Roasters: Portland-based specialty roaster with cafés and wholesale. Closely comparable in scale, single-origin focus, and independent ownership, making it a relevant operating benchmark for DOCR.

Regional players

• Populace Coffee: Detroit-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator. Same local market as DOCR; comparable third-wave product but smaller footprint, useful as a direct regional competitor benchmark.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks (Reserve Roasteries): Largest incumbent coffee operator with a Reserve and Roastery sub-brand targeting the same third-wave consumer. Comparable on retail café operations and roasting scale; competing primarily on convenience, brand reach, and capital rather than product.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dessertoasiscoffeeroasters6883
• Facebookfacebook.com/DOCRroyaloak
• Instagraminstagram.com/dessert_oasis_coffee_roasters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dessert-oasis-coffee-roasters

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 Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters