Make “someday” today

Kenny had been dreaming of starting a coffee company ever since slinging espresso in the 90s at Arabica in Cleveland.  And Staci has always been up for a dream.  

But after many busy years, 9-5 careers and one amazing kid, the coffee company was still a “someday.”  

Sure, Kenny was always brewing, tasting and chasing the flavors in his head. And we did dip our toes in, buying a small home roaster then bottling a cold brew for the neighborhood. But we weren’t all in.

Then came Kenny’s cancer diagnosis. Incurable. But thankfully treatable. And LIVABLE.  

It was a gut punch. And a gift. He’s not dying. He’s living. And so is the dream. 

​BECAUSE WHEN LIFE BECOMES PRECIOUS, YOU STOP WAITING. YOU MAKE SOMEDAY NOW. 

We went all in on our small biz, big dream built on hope, resilience and damn good cold brew and coffee beans, now proudly roasted at a commercial roastery here in Chicago.​

IN BUYING FROM US, YOU'RE PART OF OUR DREAM. AND WE'RE HERE FOR YOURS, TOO.

​Whatever your “someday” is, we say start it today. Our coffee is here to fuel it.

Specialty coffee with no pretense

We started Of Coarse™ because we were tired of the two extremes in coffee.

On one side, you have the grocery store aisle: bags that have been sitting in warehouses for six months, losing flavor every day they wait for a buyer. On the other side, you have "third wave" specialty shops where a simple cup of coffee comes with a ten-minute lecture on brew ratios and mountain altitudes.

​We’re building the alternative.

We source the same world-class, ethically-grown beans you’d find in those high-end shops but we bring them to you without the gatekeeping. We roast in small batches in Chicago to ensure you’re getting the beans at their peak, not six months too late.

​Whether you brew pour over, Moka pot, French press or reusable machine pods. If you drink it black, pour in the cream or International Delight Creamer (hey, we don't judge... much...) we’re just here to make sure it’s the best part of your morning.

We take roasting seriously, so you don't have to.

BUY COFFEE →

Don't worry, we moved out of the garage long ago. We roast at Tailwind Roasting, and awesome commercial co-roasting facility in Chicago.

To get the most optimal flavor we recommend enjoying your coffee within 4–6 weeks of the roast date. Coffee doesn't "expire" like other foods but its character changes over time. We say after 3 months it's best to buy a new bag.

Store your coffee in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight (avoid the cabinet right above the stove).

Air is the Enemy: Keep your coffee in its original bag with the one-way valve zipped tight. You can move it to an airtight container with a valve but it's best in the original container. Plus we think our bags look pretty good.

Don't Freeze: We generally advise against freezing your coffee. The moisture and temperature fluctuations can damage the delicate oils that give our coffee its unique taste.

Why we don't use the "Fair Trade" label: We don’t use the label because we actually choose to go beyond it.

Here’s why:

Direct Impact: Many certifications require farmers to pay expensive fees just to join. We’d rather source from farms that put that money back into their workers and their equipment.

A Floor, Not a Ceiling: Fair Trade sets a minimum price to protect farmers from market crashes. Since we only buy Specialty Grade beans, we already pay significantly above Fair Trade prices. We’re rewarding skill, not just meeting a minimum.

Ethical Relationships: We focus on Ethically-Grown coffee. To us, that means supporting fair wages and land management that keeps a farm thriving for the next generation, not just the next harvest.

Our Philosophy: We believe in paying for quality. By paying premium prices directly to the people growing the good stuff, we make sure the farmers are rewarded for their hard work. It’s how we get a damn good cup every time.

Nope

It’s just coffee in there. When you see notes like "toasted pecan" or "dark chocolate" on our labels, those aren't added ingredients. They are natural flavors in the coffee. We work hard to find the right beans and roast levels that will bring out the flavor profiles we are looking for.

But what if I actually like flavors?

Look, we know many people love to load their coffee with cream, sugar and syrups. We're all for it, you do you. If you want to swirl in some caramel or that seasonal pumpkin stuff, go for it.

If you know Kenny you won't be surprised that he is all over the place. He's got a couple moka pots, a French press, a couple pour over v60s, an aeropress and even an ibrik. Most days he's using the moka pot or aeropress. Oh, and Of Coarse, he drinks a lot of cold brew. 99.44% of the time he drinks it black.

Staci is totally different. Her go to is using the Nespresso maker. She fills reusable pods with our coffees, adds some stevia and protein plant milk.

Check our brew guide for more ways to brew

We roast once a month. When the window opens, order your beans. We roast fresh, then ship them out fast.

Beans, and some merch, ship separately. If we are doing a pre-order roast we ship out our beans within five days of roasting. If we have it on hand we ship out in about three. We ship USPS or UPS depending on where you are.

We have some merch on hand and that can ship with your beans. Other merch comes straight from the printer so will be shipped shortly after printed.

Kenny starting working as a barista a few weeks after he could drive to the coffee shop a couple cities away from where he grew up. He actually did roast a few times there but back then it was very different and less precise.

A bunch of years later and he randomly bought a coffee roaster, cleaned out the garage and started learning how to do it better. He then took some classes at Tailwind Roasting, started booking time on their roasters and the rest is coffee history.

Staci doesn't roast but she's along for this crazy ride.

Absolutely! We can work with your current profile or build a custom blend from scratch. Wholesale, but with personality.

We do not offer refunds or accept returns on our coffee since it is a perishable item. That said, your satisfaction is our priority! If your coffee is damaged, defective or incorrect, contact us and we’ll make it right with a fresh replacement.

Kenny's from the design world and FPO stands for For Placement Only or For Position Only. It's a design placeholder. So he got it because it's permanent but supposed to be impermanent. But aside from the inside joke that few get it's about our impermanence here on earth.