ORLAND, Maine — A Maine military member wants to use coffee to raise the spirits of troops serving overseas.
Twenty-six-year-old Parker Russell of Orland is looking to launch a coffee business called "Black Ink Coffee Company."
The business is still in the process of raising money through Kickstarter, but he hopes to buy a roaster in the next few months and get started. Russell's goal is to start a small-batch roastery and eventually open a coffee shop in the Bangor-Orono area.
However, what he's really excited about is being able to eventually send some of his coffee overseas to veterans. That's because when he was serving in Africa, he fondly remembers getting care packages from various coffee companies.
"A lot of local businesses in Maine and just in general everywhere send free coffee and care packages to the troops while they are deployed."
"I received a few different care packages from multiple coffee companies. After learning about this, I was inspired by this, and it was something I wanted to do when I returned home. I wanted to give back."
One of the coffee shops that sent coffee to him while he was serving overseas was Coffee by Design. The company has been a supporter of his start-up vision from the start.
So far, Russell has raised over $12,000 through his Kickstarter campaign. His goal is to reach $30,000. If you'd like to donate, visit his Kickstarter.