Dakota Dirt Coffee Company

Dakota Dirt Coffee Company was established in 2020 by founders Wyatt Mund, Landon Mund, and Beau Goolsbey. The trio, who grew up together in the small town of Milnor, North Dakota, launched the business during the COVID-19 pandemic after identifying a shared interest in coffee and a desire to build a venture that reflected their local roots and work ethic. The company’s name, 'Dakota Dirt,' plays on a colloquial slang term for coffee, positioning the brand as a straightforward, premium product for the everyday consumer.

The company’s origins were humble, beginning with experimental roasting in Landon Mund’s basement and Beau Goolsbey’s garage. This period was characterized by significant trial and error as the founders refined their roasting profiles and developed their business model. By September 2020, the company officially launched, establishing a roasting facility in Milnor that allowed them to move beyond residential setups and implement proper ventilation and production standards.

Dakota Dirt operates on a small-batch, made-to-order philosophy, which the founders cite as a core component of their quality control. They source green coffee beans from various international origins, utilizing a Minneapolis-based import company to procure their supply at market prices. The roasting process is designed to ensure that coffee is roasted within a week of being shipped to the customer, a practice intended to maximize freshness for their direct-to-consumer and retail markets.

In recent years, the company has expanded its infrastructure to include a physical coffee shop and drive-through at their Milnor facility. This expansion represents a shift from their initial purely digital and wholesale-focused model. The brand has successfully leveraged its 'Pride of Dakota' status to gain placement in numerous regional retail chains, including Scheels and various grocery stores across the Midwest, while also maintaining a national shipping presence.

The company’s product lineup includes a variety of roast levels ranging from light to dark, as well as single-origin offerings and nitro coffee. Their branding consistently emphasizes a connection to the American heartland, targeting both agricultural workers and office professionals. By maintaining a focus on product integrity and a distinct regional identity, the founders have scaled the business from a local hobby to a recognized regional brand.

While the company maintains a commitment to sourcing premium beans, its primary market positioning remains centered on accessibility and freshness rather than specialized competition-grade coffee. The founders have documented their journey through various regional media outlets and podcasts, highlighting the challenges of scaling a small-town startup into a national operation. Today, Dakota Dirt continues to operate out of its Milnor headquarters, serving as a notable example of a rural-based coffee enterprise.