Behind Black Rifle coffee, the 'anti-hipster' answer to Starbucks' 'latte liberals' says sales are surging

Allana Akhtar
Updated ·4 min read
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Black Rifle Coffee Company
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Black Rifle Coffee Company wants to be the Starbucks for conservatives.

Evan Hafer, the founder and CEO of Black Rifle Coffee Company, recently told The New York Times he founded BRCC as a pro-military, pro-law enforcement and anti-hipster company. He and two other veterans run the business and prioritize hiring other former armed service members.

Here's everything you need to know about Black Rifle Coffee Company:

What is Black Rifle Coffee Company?

Black Rifle Coffee Company is a small batch coffee company that sells out of locations in Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Utah. The store also ships brews nationwide through its Black Rifle Coffee Club membership, according to its website.

A BRCC spokesperson told Insider the company employs 530 people, more than half of whom are reservists, military veterans, and military spouses. BRCC would not share the names of its investors.

BRCC's offerings include the Freedom Fuel Coffee Roast, Liberty Roast, and AK-47 Espresso Blend Coffee Rounds for around $15 for a 12 oz. bag. The Black Rifle Coffee Club membership costs $25 per month.

Who owns Black Rifle?

Veteran Evan Hafer founded Black Rifle Coffee Company Salt Lake City, Utah in 2014. Before founding Black Rifle, Hafer served in the US Army for 20 years as an infantryman, a Special Forces soldier, and a CIA contractor according to his LinkedIn.

Other members include Tom Davin, co-CEO and Marine Corps infantry officer veteran, and Matt Best, the executive vice president and former CIA contractor.

Black Rifle Coffee Company is owned by the "veteran community," Hafer said in a YouTube video.

"I started Black Rifle Coffee Company to provide a high-quality coffee to the pro-American and Veteran communities," Hafer wrote on the company website.

What brands does Black Rifle Coffee have a business relationship with?

Black Rifle Coffee Company sells its products in Bass Pro Shops

BRCC has sponsored episodes of the "Slightly Offensive" podcast hosted by Elijah Schaffer, an employee of the right-wing media publication The Blaze.

BRCC came under fire from some members of the far-right following an episode of the podcast titled, "Kyle Rittenhouse: Homicidal Maniac or American Hero?"

Rittenhouse, a teenager who killed two protestors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, wore a Black Rifle Coffee Company T-shirt in a photo posted by "Slightly Offensive." The show's host also attached a discount code for BRCC merchandise to the photo of Rittenhouse.

Hafer said in a statement that BRCC does not sponsor or have a relationship with Rittenhouse, but the company believes "in the integrity of the legal justice system" and supports law enforcement officials. Supporters of Rittenhouse have since turned on the coffee company for its position on the teen.

What are Black Rifle Coffee Company's ties to Donald Trump?

Hafer told The New York Times he voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 election, but a BRCC spokesperson said the company is not affiliated with any campaign or political party.

Donald Trump Jr. endorsed Black Rifle Coffee Company in 2017 and said he met with the company's leaders.

"Great coffee, great guys and great Americans," Donald Trump Jr. tweeted in November 2017. "I've had the chance to meet and hang out with them. Try it."

Though Hafer told The Times he disagreed with the mob who stormed the White House over Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, a photo circulated depicting an insurrectionist carrying zip tie handcuffs wearing a BRCC hat.

"How do you build a cool, kind of irreverent, pro-Second Amendment, pro-America brand in the MAGA era without doubling down on the MAGA movement and also not being called a [expletive] RINO by the MAGA guys?" Hafer told The Times.

(This story was updated to include additional details of the controversy surrounding Kyle Rittenhouse)

Read the original article on Business Insider