Sip of Hope Coffee

What Sip of Hope Coffee does

Sip of Hope Coffee is a Chicago-based social enterprise that operates two brick-and-mortar cafes — a flagship in Logan Square opened in May 2018 and a second location inside the University of Chicago's Center for Care and Discovery in Hyde Park opened in 2023 — selling specialty coffee, espresso beverages, teas, kombucha, and pastries. The company is wholly owned and operated by Hope For The Day, a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2011, and positions itself as the "world's first coffee where 100% of proceeds support proactive suicide prevention and mental health education." All baristas are trained in Mental Health First Aid, and the physical cafes are explicitly designed as community resource hubs featuring sponsored mental-health resource walls (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) and event programming.

The product portfolio centers on three signature coffee blends — Conversation Starter (Colombian/Ethiopian), Destigmatizing Decaf (Colombian), and Espresso Blend (Brazilian/Ethiopian) — sold as 12oz bags at $17 each, available individually or via a $17/month subscription. Branded merchandise (tees $20-$25, crewnecks $40, travel tumblers $22, campfire mugs $15, beanies $15, tote bags $6) extends the "It's Ok Not To Be Ok®" registered trademark across apparel, drinkware, and accessories. Cafe pricing at Logan Square ranges from $2.50 drip coffee up to $5.25 specialty lattes; Hyde Park pricing runs $2.50-$5.75 across a broader menu that includes kombucha and Topo Chico. Distribution runs through the two cafes (regional, Chicago), a global e-commerce storefront at sipofhope.com, and historically through Chicago-area Whole Foods via a co-development partnership with Dark Matter Coffee that began in 2016. Sip of Hope gained operational independence from Dark Matter Coffee in October 2020 by launching its own signature blends.

Commercially, Sip of Hope is structured as a community-led and direct-to-consumer social enterprise rather than a venture-backed business. Revenue streams are cafe beverage sales, coffee and merchandise e-commerce, and monthly coffee subscriptions, with 100% of net proceeds (after operating costs and wages) donated to Hope For The Day. Customer segments include general Chicago community members, mental-health advocates, the University of Chicago community (students, faculty, staff, patients, visitors), and remote online buyers reached through e-commerce and subscription. There is no evidence of external institutional investment, public ownership, or significant technology platform investment; the enterprise employs approximately eight people and relies on standard coffee-retail infrastructure, social media (primarily Instagram), community events, and word-of-mouth/PR as its go-to-market motion.

Name

Sip of Hope Coffee

Legal name

Sip of Hope Coffee

Website

https://sipofhope.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sip of Hope Coffee is a Chicago-based social enterprise operating two cafes and an online store that sells specialty coffee, beverages, and branded merchandise, with 100% of proceeds (after operating costs) donated to parent non-profit Hope For The Day for suicide prevention and mental health education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB), Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Mental health advocacy
• Coffee subscription
• Branded merchandise
• Community cafe

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cafe Beverage Sales: Direct sales of coffee drinks and specialty beverages at two physical cafe locations. Proceeds after operating costs and employee wages are donated to Hope For The Day.
2. Coffee and Merchandise E-commerce: Online store selling whole bean coffee, merchandise (apparel, drinkware, accessories). Coffee available in whole bean or ground form; subscription option for monthly delivery.
3. Coffee Subscription: Monthly recurring subscription delivering signature coffee blends. Customers select their preferred blend and receive monthly shipments at $17 per delivery.
4. Donation of Proceeds: 100% of proceeds (after operating costs and employee wages) donated to Hope For The Day for proactive suicide prevention and mental health education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sip of Hope Coffee is a Chicago-based social enterprise operating two brick-and-mortar cafes (Logan Square and Hyde Park) that sells specialty coffee beverages, signature whole bean coffee blends, a monthly coffee subscription, and mission-branded merchandise. All baristas are trained in Mental Health First Aid, and 100% of proceeds after operating costs and employee wages are donated to Hope For The Day to fund proactive suicide prevention and mental health education programs.

Product overview

Sip of Hope Coffee is a social enterprise operating two brick-and-mortar cafes in Chicago (Logan Square and Hyde Park) that sells specialty coffee, tea, and related merchandise. The company offers three signature coffee blends (Conversation Starter, Destigmatizing Decaf, and Espresso Blend) available for purchase as 12oz bags or via monthly subscription. The product portfolio also includes branded merchandise such as apparel (t-shirts, crewnecks, beanies), drinkware (mugs, travel tumblers), and accessories (tote bags). All proceeds support proactive suicide prevention and mental health education programs through Hope for the Day.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conversation Starter Coffee (12oz) Signature house blend served on drip daily in the cafe. Origin: Colombia and Ethiopia. Tasting notes: Brown Sugar, Citrus, and Caramel.
• Destigmatizing Decaf Coffee (12oz) Decaffeinated coffee designed to challenge the stigma around decaf. Origin: Colombia. Tasting notes: Caramel Candy, Dark Chocolate, and Almond.
• Espresso Blend Coffee (12oz) Blend of natural Brazil and washed Ethiopian coffee, roasted separately and blended for a rich, creamy base. Tasting notes: Peanut Butter, Hazelnut, and Cocoa.
• Monthly Coffee Subscription Recurring monthly subscription delivering signature Sip of Hope coffee blends at $17 per delivery. Customers select their preferred blend.
• It's Ok Not To Be Ok Branded Merchandise Apparel (t-shirts, crewnecks, beanies), drinkware (campfire mugs, travel tumblers), and accessories (cotton tote bags) branded with the registered 'It's Ok Not To Be Ok' trademark. Items priced from $6 to $40.
• Logan Square Cafe Beverage Service Flagship cafe offering hot coffee, espresso drinks, teas, specialty lattes, and pastries. Includes drip coffee, espresso, honey and turmeric latte, chai, and various tea options. All baristas trained in Mental Health First Aid.
• Hyde Park Cafe Beverage Service Full cafe beverage service at Hyde Park location offering drip coffee, iced coffee, americano, cortado, cappuccino, latte, mocha, chai, specialty lattes (Nectar of the Gods, Lavender Haze, Spicy Mocha), teas, kombucha, and Topo Chico.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Dark Matter CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Local Chicago roaster who partnered with Hope For The Day starting in 2016 to create specialty-grade Sip of Hope coffee bags. Dark Matter Coffee guided, educated, and trained Sip of Hope, enabling them to develop their own signature blends. Sip of Hope was able to step out on their own and begin offering their own signature blends in October 2020.
• Hope For The DaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based non-profit that owns and operates Sip of Hope as a social enterprise. Founded in 2011 to honor friends and family lost to suicide, HFTD pioneered proactive prevention programming. Sip of Hope financially supports HFTD's suicide prevention and mental health education programs with 100% of proceeds after operating costs.
• American Foundation for Suicide PreventionflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerResource wall at Logan Square flagship location offers a variety of support materials, generously sponsored by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This partnership provides visible mental health resources to cafe visitors.
• West Town BakeryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides daily assortment of pastries available for purchase at Logan Square cafe location.
• University of Chicago Center for Care and DiscoveryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for second Sip of Hope cafe opened in 2023. Located on ground floor alongside two other restaurants, providing access to patients, visitors, and university community on Chicago's South Side.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Equal Exchange: Mission-driven specialty coffee cooperative with a values-first brand (fair trade, small farmer). Comparable as an ethically positioned coffee company selling bagged coffee, subscriptions, and merchandise where the mission is a core purchasing driver.
• Grounds for Change: Certified organic, fair trade coffee roaster operating with a social/environmental mission. Comparable on subscription coffee, mission-led branding, and DTC distribution strategy aimed at cause-driven consumers.
• Collectivo Coffee: Worker-owned specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with strong community and social mission orientation. Comparable as a mission-driven, multi-location cafe and roaster with subscription and merchandise revenue lines.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: Pioneering Chicago third-wave specialty coffee roaster with cafes and wholesale channels. Comparable on cafe format, single-origin sourcing ethos, and direct-to-consumer bean sales at similar price points.
• Higher Ground Roastery: Non-profit specialty coffee company that employs and supports people in recovery from homelessness and addiction. Comparable as a mission-first coffee business where proceeds fund a social cause and baristas are part of the impact model.
• Dark Matter Coffee: Chicago-based specialty roaster and cafe operator that was Sip of Hope's original operational partner and trained the team. Highly comparable as a multi-location Chicago specialty coffee business with similar third-wave sourcing and barista culture.

Broad incumbents

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Major third-wave specialty coffee company with cafes, wholesale, and direct trade sourcing. Comparable cafe format, signature blend portfolio, and subscription/DTC offering, but operates nationally as a broad incumbent.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Large specialty coffee chain with cafes and subscription service emphasizing freshness and origin transparency. Comparable on signature blend coffee, subscription pricing, and cafe experience, but operates at significantly broader scale.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Established specialty coffee roaster with cafes, wholesale, subscription, and bottled RTD beverages. Comparable on multi-location cafes, subscription/DTC model, and price points, but operates at much larger scale as a broad incumbent.

Emerging players

• Halfday Tonics: Chicago-based functional beverage brand with a mental wellness positioning and similar non-alcoholic, health-adjacent ethos. Comparable as a Chicago-rooted emerging beverage brand overlapping on the mental health / wellness consumer segment Sip of Hope serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DDFG4k_srXK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sip-of-hope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sip of Hope Coffee