the history
Zero Dark Thirty Coffee was born from the darkest moments of its founder’s life—a journey marked by trauma, loss, and ultimately, redemption. Before the company ever sold a single bag of coffee, its founder, Jarad Webb—a former Marine and police officer—was grappling with the invisible wounds of PTSD. For years, he denied the symptoms, believing that pushing through was the only option.
But that denial had consequences. After multiple surgeries from injuries sustained on the job, he began using prescribed opiates. What started as pain management soon turned into emotional numbing, leading to a full-blown addiction.
Zero Dark Thirty Coffee was born from the darkest moments of its founder’s life—a journey marked by trauma, loss, and ultimately, redemption. Before the company ever sold a single bag of coffee, its founder, Jarad Webb—a former Marine and police officer—was grappling with the invisible wounds of PTSD. For years, he denied the symptoms, believing that pushing through was the only option.
But that denial had consequences. After multiple surgeries from injuries sustained on the job, he began using prescribed opiates. What started as pain management soon turned into emotional numbing, leading to a full-blown addiction.
The consequences were devastating. Disconnected from his family, battling depression, and spiraling deeper into isolation, the turning point came in the most public way possible—his arrest. He was arrested in his own department, handcuffed by his friends, stuffed into the back of a patrol car, and booked on felony drug charges.
His mugshot, circulated by local media, marked the complete collapse of his former life. He lost his job, his identity, his home, his status, and nearly his family. At rock bottom, he began to believe his family would be better off without him.
The consequences were devastating. Disconnected from his family, battling depression, and spiraling deeper into isolation, the turning point came in the most public way possible—his arrest. He was arrested in his own department, handcuffed by his friends, stuffed into the back of a patrol car, and booked on felony drug charges.
His mugshot, circulated by local media, marked the complete collapse of his former life. He lost his job, his identity, his home, his status, and nearly his family. At rock bottom, he began to believe his family would be better off without him.
By the grace of God, a phone call from a close friend interrupted what would have been his final decision. That conversation shifted his thinking, and he realized the drugs weren’t the problem—they were a symptom. The real issue was unprocessed trauma.
Admitting he had PTSD for the first time, he began seeking help. Through organizations like Homeward for Heroes in Montana and Save a Warrior in Ohio, he found connection, support, and a structured path forward. He followed the advice of those who had walked the same road and began to rebuild.
By the grace of God, a phone call from a close friend interrupted what would have been his final decision. That conversation shifted his thinking, and he realized the drugs weren’t the problem—they were a symptom. The real issue was unprocessed trauma.
Admitting he had PTSD for the first time, he began seeking help. Through organizations like Homeward for Heroes in Montana and Save a Warrior in Ohio, he found connection, support, and a structured path forward. He followed the advice of those who had walked the same road and began to rebuild.
Coffee entered the picture during this healing process, through a fellow veteran. The two met while participating in Veteran’s Treatment Court. Brent, an Air Force and Army veteran with decades of coffee roasting experience, would bring fresh-roasted, high-quality coffee to class each day.
At the time, Jarad didn’t even like coffee—at least not the cheap, bitter kind he’d grown up with. Brent insisted the problem wasn’t coffee itself, but the quality of the bean and the roasting process. After trying Brent’s roast—smooth, rich, and low in acidity—something clicked.
Coffee entered the picture during this healing process, through a fellow veteran. The two met while participating in Veteran’s Treatment Court. Brent, an Air Force and Army veteran with decades of coffee roasting experience, would bring fresh-roasted, high-quality coffee to class each day.
At the time, Jarad didn’t even like coffee—at least not the cheap, bitter kind he’d grown up with. Brent insisted the problem wasn’t coffee itself, but the quality of the bean and the roasting process. After trying Brent’s roast—smooth, rich, and low in acidity—something clicked.
Coffee became the perfect medium to help him pay it forward. He had gone his entire life not knowing better coffee was possible—just like he hadn’t known there was a better way to live. The idea for Zero Dark Thirty Coffee was born: a business with a mission—to fund trauma recovery for veterans and first responders through the sale of high-quality coffee.
In the beginning, Jarad ran the business and nonprofit operations while Brent roasted the beans and helped shape the brand's quality standard. Over time, Brent passed on his knowledge, and Jarad immersed himself in learning the craft. Brent eventually stepped away to focus on his health and family but continues to support the business as a mentor and customer.
Today, Zero Dark Thirty Coffee exists to do more than sell coffee. It exists to fund trauma recovery and ensure that no warrior suffers alone.
Coffee became the perfect medium to help him pay it forward. He had gone his entire life not knowing better coffee was possible—just like he hadn’t known there was a better way to live. The idea for Zero Dark Thirty Coffee was born: a business with a mission—to fund trauma recovery for veterans and first responders through the sale of high-quality coffee.
In the beginning, Jarad ran the business and nonprofit operations while Brent roasted the beans and helped shape the brand's quality standard. Over time, Brent passed on his knowledge, and Jarad immersed himself in learning the craft. Brent eventually stepped away to focus on his health and family but continues to support the business as a mentor and customer.
Today, Zero Dark Thirty Coffee exists to do more than sell coffee. It exists to fund trauma recovery and ensure that no warrior suffers alone.
Coffee is our Strong Point
We were lucky—we made it home. But the truth is, neither of us would be here today without the help of some extraordinary people who stepped in when we needed it most. Now that we’re in a place to pay it forward, we’re committed to supporting those returning home today. Someone once told me that if you can find a way to make a living doing something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. We believe that same mindset applies to serving those who’ve served us. At first, we weren’t sure how to turn our skills—explosives, weapons, and military tactics—into something that could help our brothers and sisters transition to civilian life. But as we sat at the table, sharing coffee and ideas, it hit us. With over a decade of roasting experience and a real love for coffee, we realized we’d found our medium. This is how we serve now.
The first problem we ran into was figuring out our strong points. It wasn’t practical to turn our knowledge of explosives, weapons, and military tactics into a way to help our brothers and sisters transition into civilian life. So, as we sat together over a cup of coffee, kicking around ideas, we had a moment of clarity. With 10+ years of coffee roasting experience and a deep love of coffee, we had found our medium.
Why the name Zero Dark Thirty?
From talking with friends and family, we knew most people drink coffee every day—usually first thing in the morning. That’s where the name Zero Dark Thirty Coffee came from. It’s military slang for way too early (let’s be real, Buttcrack of Dawn Coffee just didn’t hit the same). We also noticed most folks were drinking mass-produced, name-brand coffee that didn’t taste half as good as what we were roasting at home. So we figured, why not give people better coffee—at about the same price? A switch that makes sense, not just for the quality, but for the purpose behind it. We’re not here to make shareholders rich. We’re here to give back, and every bag we sell helps us do just that. That’s the real mission.
Thanks for your support!
We’re truly grateful you’re here. Whether you’ve bought a bag of coffee or just stopped by to learn more, your support means the world to us—and it pushes our mission forward. At Zero Dark Thirty Coffee, our goal is to serve high-quality coffee at a fair price, while making a real impact. We donate our profits to the ZDT Foundation, a 501(c)(3) supporting veterans, first responders, and their families. Every organization we work with is carefully chosen to make sure your dollars go as far as possible. We’re committed to putting a large portion of every sale toward the mission—and using the rest to grow, so we can help even more people. We know it’s an ambitious goal, but we believe it’s one worth fighting for. Thank you for standing with us.
