The Story of Fire Department Coffee
If it seems like you’re suddenly seeing Fire Dept. Coffee everywhere you look these days, that’s a great thing. Yet the company’s path as a small, veteran-owned coffee roaster has been anything but an overnight success.
It’s taken years of hard work and long hours. It has taken tons of effort and teamwork from a dedicated group of coffee experts and firefighters — all committed to creating incredible roasts and sharing them with people who love coffee just as much as we do.
Fire Dept. Coffee was founded in 2016 by Luke Schneider, a Navy veteran who then was pursuing his dream as a full-time firefighter-paramedic with the Rockford Fire Department in Illinois. Schneider’s time in the Navy ignited his love of coffee, and the long shifts at the fire station only reinforced it.
The team he’s built with Fire Dept. Coffee shares that same passion for roasting innovative coffee and having a great time doing it. From pioneering Spirit Infused Coffee in 2016, to launching the Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation in 2018 to support ill and injured first responders, to our ongoing expansion into grocery and convenience stores nationwide, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far. And we’re excited about where we’re going.
We’re grateful for everyone joining us on this amazing caffeinated journey.
Long Hours Fueled by a Love of Coffee
As a firefighter in the United States Navy, Schneider learned what long shifts are all about. It’s not just the hours that present the challenge. It’s the need to stay constantly ready, always vigilant, whether the shift has just begun or whether you’re 18 hours into it.
For Schneider and so many of the sailors he served with in the Navy, coffee was a secret weapon. Whenever possible, they kept a steaming pot of their favorite brew at the ready.
When Schneider left the service and joined the Rockford Fire Department, those same demands remained. Coffee was his go-to beverage to fuel him through the long hours so he’d be ready to answer any call. Then his passion for drinking coffee led to an interest in roasting his own.
“I wanted to make a coffee that spoke to being a firefighter and that gave back, so I created a Fire Department Blend. Out of all the coffee we roasted, the Fire Department Blend was the most popular, so in 2016 I launched Fire Department Coffee with a mission to make great coffee and support fellow firefighters and first responders.”
– Luke Schneider, CEO of Fire Department Coffee
Fire Dept. Coffee started in an 800 square foot space in a strip mall and began offering tasting events. The response was overwhelmingly positive and offered all the motivation he needed to keep going.
With a small 5-kilo roaster operating 24/7, Schneider and his small team took turns keeping the operation going, often getting what rest they could inside a sleeping bag on the floor of the facility. But they did what needed to be done to meet the growing demand as Fire Dept. Coffee grew in popularity — and sales.
Eventually we grew into a larger facility with a larger roaster. We handled roasting and shipping both out of that space … until we outgrew that, too.
Now we also have a dedicated 38,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Rockford that keeps us organized and on track, so we can always get your coffee and Fire Dept. Coffee gear delivered to you as quickly as possible.
As important as the high-quality coffee we roast, is the personal connections we’ve made with our customers. Our first core customers were firefighters and first responders, and that group remains and integral part of what we do and who we serve.
We grew that connection through our shared experiences and because we can relate to what they’re going through each day. We show it through our online presence on our website and on social media.
One of the first key connections Schneider made was to develop a friendship and partnership with Jason Patton, who had built a following of his own with the hilarious videos he shared through his brand, Fire Department Chronicles.
Patton began bringing his hilarious firefighter humor to promote Fire Dept. Coffee. Each video was more successful than the next. Eventually Patton formally joined our team as Vice President.
The humorous videos that Patton helped bring to our brand have remained a key part of how we connect. We’ve teamed up with other hilarious comedians and firefighters along the way, including Firefighter Fenton and Ginger Billy.
Yet, the heart of Fire Dept. Coffee remains the amazing men and women who are working behind the scenes. What started as a passionate group of firefighters and first responders pitching in to help on the side has grown to a full-blown team of talented, dedicated people who love coffee and sharing it with others.
Each one of them takes great pride in what they do, so we can always be proud of the product that we share with our customers. Our team is why we’re growing, and we feel so confident about what lies ahead for Fire Dept. Coffee.
This has since brought forth the fundamentals of the business, along with the brand’s tagline “Run by Firefighters”.
Pioneers of Spirit Infused Coffee
Creativity has always been present in Fire Dept. Coffee’s approach to roasting coffee. We’re always looking to push the limits of what makes a great cup and, in 2016, we truly separated ourselves from the pack.
While we love the taste of a delicious cup of coffee, we also appreciate the taste of fine spirits. So we set out to bring those two experiences together.
That same year, we perfected our proprietary process for Spirit Infused Coffee, and it launched us to a new place in the coffee roasting world.
The idea to infuse our favorite caffeinated beverage with the best qualities of our favorite spirits seemed natural. But figuring out how to make it happen wasn’t so simple.
Because we know that coffee beans take on the characteristics of their environment, our first infusion efforts focused on using aged bourbon barrels. It seemed like a great idea, but the results were disappointing. The taste was inconsistent. We often noticed a harsh, overpowering char flavor from the barrel that was a deal-breaker for us.
We decided to scrap the barrels and instead infuse the spirits directly into the beans. After more trial and error, we landed on our proprietary infusion process. It’s one that we’ve learned to apply to a variety of spirits from bourbon to Irish whiskey, rum, tequila and more.
Other coffee roasters have yet to replicate our signature infusion method — and though there are now other coffees on the market infused with spirits, we believe you won’t find a better product than Fire Dept. Coffee.
Our Spirit Infused Coffee roasts are among our most popular roasts, each one made with high-quality premium spirits. Our Spirit Infused Coffee Club offers an opportunity to enjoy a new roast each month, delivered right to your door.
A Foundation Built on Giving Back
From the very beginning, we knew that Fire Dept. Coffee would have a mission that goes beyond roasting great coffee. We wanted to show our respect, admiration and appreciation for those who dedicate their lives to serving others.
So we’ve made a commitment to donating a portion of net profits to benefit ill or injured first responders. In the firefighter community, it’s not unusual to hear stories of fellow first responders who are struggling for one reason or another. So we set out to support them whenever we could.
In 2018, the Fire Dept. Coffee Charitable Foundation was created to add even more structure and focus to that mission of giving back. Through the foundation, we can identify and vet the organizations that effectively support ill and injured first responders. A portion of net proceeds goes to the foundation, which then disburses it to those organizations and individuals in need.
That year, our mission hit close to home when our own chief roaster, retired fire captain David McWilliams, was diagnosed with advanced malignant melanoma in 2018. The Firefighter Cancer Support Network was instrumental in helping him through his battle with cancer, and now the Fire Department Coffee Foundation is a proud supporter of FCSN.
We’ve also supported plenty of other amazing organizations, including the New Jersey Firefighter Mutual Benevolent Association, Illinois Fire Service Institute, the Ultimate Sacrifice Foundation, EMS FDNY Help Fund and more.
Giving back will always be a pillar of what we do at Fire Dept. Coffee, and we never forget that we can only give back because so many amazing customers enjoy our coffee and believe in our mission.
What’s Next for Fire Dept. Coffee?
Fire Dept. Coffee began by selling coffee roasts online, taking pride in fast delivery of high-quality, freshly-roasted coffee, right to your door.
Our goal is to roast the best coffee possible and get it into the kitchens and offices and fire stations of as many people as possible, from coast to coast (and country to country). So we’re working hard to make it easier, faster and more convenient for you to enjoy your favorite Fire Dept. Coffee roasts.
In fall of 2022, we unveiled our first line of Nitro-Charged, Ready to Drink Coffee, so you can have your coffee on the go, anytime.
We’ve recently partnered with some of the nation’s leading grocers to begin carrying our coffee in their stores nationwide.
Even more opportunities are on the horizon in the weeks and months ahead. So keep an eye out for Fire Dept. Coffee in your favorite stores. In fact, you can check and see where Fire Dept. Coffee is available near you through a handy Buy Near Me product locator!
Big things are happening. Fire Dept. Coffee is growing.
And the coffee is as delicious as ever.
