The Mill Coffee & Tea
The Mill Coffee & Tea is a privately held specialty coffee roaster and tea retailer founded in the 1970s in Lincoln, Nebraska, operating 8+ cafes across Lincoln and Omaha alongside a nationwide Shopify e-commerce store, wholesale, fundraising, and subscription channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersLincoln, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Mill Coffee & Tea does
The Mill Coffee & Tea is a specialty coffee roaster and tea retailer founded in the 1970s and headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, operating under the legal entity Global Warming, LLC. The company operates 8+ physical cafe locations across Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska — including The Mill on Leavenworth, The Mill in the Historic Haymarket, The Mill at College View, The Mill at Telegraph, The Mill Coffee & Bistro on Innovation Campus, and The Mill on 11th — together with a roastery at 800 P Street, Lincoln, that also functions as the shipping origin for DTC orders.
Its product portfolio spans single-origin coffees from major growing regions (Indonesia, Africa, Central/South America, Jamaica including rare Jamaican Blue Mountain), flavored coffees, and a broad tea assortment covering black, green, herbal, and chai. Branded merchandise, brewing accessories, apparel, and ceramics round out the catalog. The company runs a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (millcoffee.com) with USPS Priority nationwide shipping and free shipping over $50, a wholesale program for restaurants and offices, a fundraising program offering up to 40% margins to community organizations, a rotating single-origin subscription service, and a points-based loyalty rewards program.
The Mill makes money through four primary streams: in-store cafe beverage and food sales, retail bag/tea/merchandise sales via ecommerce and cafes, wholesale and fundraiser B2B transactions, and recurring subscription revenue. Pricing is unit-based, with retail coffees at $20-$24 per 12oz bag (premium SKUs like Jamaican Blue Mountain at $40), wholesale coffees at $15-$18 per 12oz, teas at $9.75-$12.75 per container, and merchandise at $29-$60. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investors.
The Mill Coffee & Tea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Mill Coffee & Tea
- Legal name
- Global Warming, LLC
- Website
- https://millcoffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Mill Coffee & Tea is a privately held specialty coffee roaster and tea retailer founded in the 1970s in Lincoln, Nebraska, operating 8+ cafes across Lincoln and Omaha alongside a nationwide Shopify e-commerce store, wholesale, fundraising, and subscription channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Mill Coffee & Tea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Retail
- 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 Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where The Mill Coffee & Tea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincoln
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
The Mill Coffee & Tea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of roasted coffee, tea, and merchandise through e-commerce website and physical cafe locations. Includes various roast levels, single origins, blends, and flavored coffees.
- Wholesale/Bulk Coffee Sales: B2B sales of coffee and tea products to restaurants, offices, and fundraiser organizations at wholesale pricing with volume discounts.
- Cafe Operations: In-store beverage and food sales across multiple Nebraska cafe locations including sit-down service at The Mill Coffee & Bistro on Innovation Campus.
- Loyalty Program: Points-based loyalty rewards program where customers earn points for in-store purchases and redeem for free drinks, merchandise, and discounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail single origin coffees priced at $20-$24 per 12oz bag |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale coffee pricing for business customers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Flavored coffees at $20 retail, $15 wholesale |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tea products priced at $9.75-$12.75 per container |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Travel mugs, tumblers, and merchandise |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Mill Coffee & Tea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Mill Coffee & Tea is a specialty coffee roaster and tea retailer that sells single-origin and flavored coffees, a broad tea selection, branded merchandise, and rotating single-origin subscriptions through a Shopify e-commerce store, multiple company-owned cafe locations in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and a wholesale program for restaurants, offices, and fundraiser organizations. Operations include in-house roasting at the Lincoln, NE facility, sit-down bistro and cafe service, fundraising partnerships with up to 40% margins, and a points-based loyalty rewards program.
Product overview
The Mill Coffee & Tea is a specialty coffee and tea retailer operating both e-commerce and physical café locations. Their product portfolio consists of single-origin coffees sourced from major growing regions (Indonesia, Africa, Central/South America, Jamaica), flavored coffees using premium oils, and a diverse tea selection including black, green, herbal, and chai teas. The company also offers coffee brewing equipment, travel accessories, ceramics, apparel, and branded merchandise. They operate multiple retail locations in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and provide wholesale and subscription services. Their loyalty rewards program offers points for in-store purchases redeemable for various products and discounts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Single-Origin Coffees Single-origin roasted specialty coffees sold at retail ($20-$24 per 12oz bag, with Jamaican Blue Mountain at $40), each with disclosed farm, region, elevation, and processing details. Targeted at home-brewing coffee enthusiasts seeking traceable, terroir-driven coffees.
- Flavored Coffees Premium flavored coffees priced at $20 retail or $15 wholesale per 12oz bag, made from 100% Arabica beans with premium flavoring oils. Targeted at retail customers and wholesale buyers seeking flavored coffee options.
- Specialty Teas Diverse specialty tea catalog covering black, green, herbal, flavored black, and chai varieties priced at $9.75-$12.75 per container. Targeted at retail consumers and wholesale buyers seeking premium loose-leaf and bagged tea options.
- Coffee Merchandise and Accessories Branded merchandise, travel mugs, tumblers, ceramics, apparel, and coffee brewing accessories priced $29-$60 per item. Targeted at retail consumers and gift purchasers.
- Rotating Single-Origin Coffee Subscription Recurring coffee subscription delivering rotating single-origin selections on a recurring basis. Targeted at home-brewing consumers seeking ongoing variety of traceable, single-origin specialty coffees.
- Loyalty Rewards Program Points-based customer loyalty program where members earn 25-750 points for various in-store actions, redeemable for drink customizations, beverages, pastries, merchandise, discounts, and gift cards. Targeted at repeat cafe customers.
- Wholesale Coffee and Tea Program B2B wholesale program supplying single-origin and blended coffees and teas to restaurants, offices, and other retailers with dedicated wholesale pricing ($15-$18 per 12oz bag) and volume options. Targeted at wholesale buyers, restaurants, and offices needing consistent specialty-coffee supply.
- Fundraising Program Community fundraising program enabling groups to sell coffee, tea, cocoas, and chocolates with up to 40% margin retained by the organizing group. Targeted at community organizations, schools, and nonprofits seeking product-based fundraising solutions.
- The Mill Cafe Operations In-store cafe and bistro service across 8+ company-owned locations in Lincoln and Omaha, NE, offering beverages, food service, sit-down experiences, and retail merchandise. The Mill Coffee & Bistro on Innovation Campus provides full-service bistro operation. Targeted at retail consumers seeking on-site dining and coffee experiences.
Companies that use The Mill Coffee & Tea
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Mill Coffee & Tea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Mill Coffee & Tea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Mill Coffee & Tea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kicking Horse Coffee: Specialty single-origin coffee roaster with strong DTC e-commerce; comparable to The Mill in curated single-origin positioning and online-first retail model.
- Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster focused on single-origin transparency, sustainability, and training/wholesale programs, mirroring The Mill's direct-trade sourcing and B2B focus.
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with national cafe footprint, DTC e-commerce, and draft RTD beverages; comparable to The Mill in cafe + online + wholesale model.
- Intelligentsia Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator emphasizing direct trade and single-origin storytelling; comparable to The Mill on product curation and wholesale/cafe channels.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster with cafes, wholesale, and subscription offerings; directly comparable to The Mill in single-origin positioning and multi-channel distribution.
- Harney & Sons Fine Teas: Specialty tea retailer and wholesaler with cafe/tea room presence; comparable to The Mill on the tea side of the assortment, including black, green, herbal, and chai offerings sold DTC.
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty third-wave coffee roaster and cafe operator with strong single-origin focus and DTC e-commerce, comparable to The Mill in product philosophy and cafe-plus-online model.
Regional players
- Caribou Coffee: Multi-region coffee cafe chain with broader Midwest footprint; comparable to The Mill as a multi-location cafe operator with retail packaged coffee, though serving different geographies.
- Colectivo Coffee: Midwest-focused specialty roaster and cafe chain based in Wisconsin; comparable as a multi-cafe regional specialty player, though serving a different geography than The Mill.
Broad incumbents
- Peet's Coffee: Established specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with national wholesale and retail presence; comparable as a broader incumbent in specialty coffee with overlapping single-origin and subscription products.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Mill Coffee & Tea social profiles
Digital presenceThe Mill Coffee & Tea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Mill Coffee & Tea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Mill Coffee & Tea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Mill Coffee & Tea 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 The Mill Coffee & Tea
What does The Mill Coffee & Tea do?
The Mill Coffee & Tea is a specialty coffee roaster and tea retailer that sells single-origin and flavored coffees, a broad tea selection, branded merchandise, and rotating single-origin subscriptions through a Shopify e-commerce store, multiple company-owned cafe locations in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and a wholesale program for restaurants, offices, and fundraiser organizations. Operations include in-house roasting at the Lincoln, NE facility, sit-down bistro and cafe service, fundraising partnerships with up to 40% margins, and a points-based loyalty rewards program.
Is The Mill Coffee & Tea a public or private company?
The Mill Coffee & Tea is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Mill Coffee & Tea founded?
The Mill Coffee & Tea was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Mill Coffee & Tea based?
The Mill Coffee & Tea is headquartered in Lincoln, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Mill Coffee & Tea make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale/Bulk Coffee Sales, cafe Operations and loyalty Program.
Who are The Mill Coffee & Tea's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kicking Horse Coffee, Counter Culture Coffee, La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Intelligentsia Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Harney & Sons Fine Teas and Blue Bottle Coffee. Regional players are Caribou Coffee and Colectivo Coffee. Peet's Coffee is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Mill Coffee & Tea have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Mill Coffee & Tea.
What industry is The Mill Coffee & Tea in?
The Mill Coffee & Tea'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 AFAFADAJ, Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.