Before the Los Angeles Rams moved to their new headquarters and training complex in Woodlawn Hills, Calif., last month, the team’s players, coaches and front-office staffers had a new brand on offer, Dodo Coffee. The brew, it turns out, had a connection.
Dodo Coffee Co. was founded by Rams star wide receiver Cooper Kupp and his family. Earlier this year, the 2022 Super Bowl MVP says he offered a discount to his employer to get his product available and to provide an alternative for those who often looked outside the team facility for better tasting cups of coffee.
Seeing his teammates bringing in heavily flavored coffee from Starbucks and other coffee chains pains him more than a bruising tackle from an opposing linebacker.
“You’re starting your day with so many chemicals,” Kupp said in a phone interview. “So many things that are not good, and most guys aren’t getting a black coffee. Most of them are getting stuff with syrups and things that are terrible for you. … For how we should be treating our bodies as athletes, to start your day like that is just killer.”
Dodo Coffee Co. launched nationally last week after operating as a low-key family-run shop since the start of the year. Kupp and his wife Anna are two of the six owners of the brand, along with his sister-in-law, Sarah Ojeda, her husband, Isaiah, and Sarah and Anna’s parents, Nathan and Veronica Croskrey. The ownership group opened its first brick and mortar location in January in Fayetteville, Ark., where Anna’s family is based. The in-laws are most involved in the operation of the business, especially during the NFL season, when Kupp is busy catching the pigskin for the Rams.
The 31-year-old NFL veteran plans to eventually add a few more locations nationwide but is hesitant to expand too quickly. He is focusing on delivering a top product, which he says derives from the world’s highest quality single-origin coffee beans. “The competitive nature of business is a new thing to me, but it’s been a lot of fun,” he said.
Dodo Coffee Co. is currently sourced from various countries including Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil, the world’s largest producer. Kupp says his team is zeroing in on quality beans while working with reliable farmer cooperatives and growers with high standards. These workers know that the taste must be repeatable and available year-round, he says, without draining resources from the community.
Kupp is also focused on investing back into local economies, as most of the small farms where the beans originate from can’t afford to achieve organic, fair-trade tags and other certifications. For example, the new company is paying a premium to brokers and importers, not bartering down growers, to make sure workers are being taken care of long term.
“One of the most important things in starting a business is that it aligns with who you are and the passions that you have,” Kupp said. “We don’t align with the McDonald’s and Starbucks of the world … We want to do things that are intentional and that are lifting people up.”
Kupp is the latest pro athlete to dive into the coffee business. The list includes Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, who founded coffee and lifestyle company BigFace in 2021, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who recently launched a ready-to-drink iced coffee brand (Throne Sport Coffee). Former pro athletes like NBA great Dikembe Mutombo and ex-NFLer Stephen Tulloch have also launched coffee ventures in years past.
Kupp isn’t just trying to build the best athlete-led coffee brand. The standout wide receiver wants to deliver the best health-conscious coffee on the market, creating a model that drives equitable outcomes and be an example of best business practices for similar brands.
“There are a lot of [workers] that are being exploited,” he said of the coffee industry. “It’s these big companies that are all about mass production and getting the most they possibly can get by paying the very least. It’s a tough thing, because that program will always end in exploitation.”
Kupp isn’t the first to create a venture that looks to fight against labor exploitation in the coffee production process, which has existed for decades. He won’t be able to solve the ongoing issue alone. However, he hopes his ethics-over-profit approach will resonate with others in the industry.
Kupp’s product isn’t the most affordable on the market, with a 10-ounce “Dodo Blend” bag starting at $28 on the company website. The former third-round draft pick says he wouldn’t tell someone how to spend their money but believes the tradeoff for the high-end product is worth it long term.
“In a way, I’m in the health industry,” he said. “If I’m hurt, it hurts me financially. I understand the importance of being healthy. If you spend your money on quality food and how you’re taking care of your body, that’s going to pay dividends down the line … It’s how I operate.”