Life & Work with A.J. O’Neil

Today we’d like to introduce you to A.J. O’Neil.  

Hi A.J., can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was a 20-year career roofer in 2005 when a sudden summer storm blew a gust of wind which knocked me off my ladder as I was finishing a section of the roof I was working on. I fell 35 feet, pummeling to the concrete below. Severely injured, I was rushed to the hospital, and, well as you can tell, I survived. I had many broken bones and internally damaged organs, but after about a year, I was able to return to work. I heeded doctors’ advice to “find a job that did not require a ladder,” and landed in a little cafe that I purchased and operated, with all of the remaining money that I could muster. The Cafe, simply named AJ’s Cafe, opened on April 1st, 2007 which was a perfect day to open because I felt like a fool to open a cafe at the beginning of a long economic depression that severely threatened the very survival of the Detroit auto industry and the survival of our town. 

During the early years of operation, we used our musical stage side of the cafe to welcome open mic-ers and anyone looking for a place of respite and we became the living room of sorts to a community that needed some inexpensive entertainment. I started holding quirky events like the world’s longest Danny Boy marathon, a 50-hour non-stop event that made global news as over 800 participants sang, played, crooned, and performed versions of my favorite Irish aire over St. Patrick’s Day, 2008. The governor (Jennifer Granholm) of Michigan even showed up to sing! 

Thinking we were a shoo-in for a Guinness record, I applied, but after several months, I was rejected via an email. Guinness had no category for a record of our type and did not wish to have one. But they suggested we attempt the “world’s longest concert by multiple artists” instead. Realizing the dire need that our auto industry was up against, we decided that we would hold The Assembly Line Concert. In one-hour “shifts,” we went 288 non-stop hours with ordinary-talented, everyday musicians of Detroit and got the world record. The world followed the feat, and we again received global attention. One publication called us “the little cafe that bailed out the American automobile industry, one cup of coffee at a time.” That gave me the idea to start a coffee company because it was a lot of good coffee that we drank to keep us going all those hours. Detroit Bold, the Awesome-Style Coffee for Hardworking Humans. was born! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We started out with very little money in a very challenging coffee market. Global news attention didn’t create opportunities that I hoped for, and I realized that, like Detroit, no one was going to bail us out. I was entering a very saturated coffee market and had to overcome crowded coffee shelves to find our place. I used inexpensive, brown, tin-tie coffee bags to package our coffee in, which ended up resembling a lunch bag. That added to our charm as a no-frills, honest-to-goodness, working-class joe. It came to represent the hard work, grit, and determination that was emblematic of the city that bared our name. I used a ton of hard work and elbow grease, and with a lot of help from a lot of people whose jobs we likely helped save, we overcame obstacles and found our way onto store shelves. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am most proud that, as I look about the city of Detroit today, I see a city on a fantastic rebound. We helped refocus the attention on all that was good and beautiful about Detroit before it was cool too! We had a motto: “We reserve the right to serve everyone,” and as we continue to grow, we serve our community without regard. We have continually served our homeless community, participating in a “picnic” in Cass Park twice a month, where we serve our coffee to anyone, no questions asked, and always free. We are an integral part of our city and a known brand in the coffee industry, sold in most stores in Michigan and at our community (Eastern) market every week. We employ military veterans and people who truly reflect the culture of Detroit, including those in the recovery community. We continue to hold Detroit in the highest regard and take that wherever we go. We roast 3 blocks away from the first Model T auto assembly line plant in Highland Park, an enclave within Detroit, which happens to also be the place where I was born. We believe in Detroit with all of our hearts as do many people who purchase our products from all over the USA online. 

What matters most to you?
Dignity, Integrity, doing what we say. Being representative of the city that bears our name, Detroit. Because there’s a bit of Detroit in everyone. We (Detroiters) are good people, and we have an excellent product. We need that to be imbued with every bean we roast. It’s not about money; it’s about doing things correctly because if we do that, we don’t need to worry about anything else. 

Pricing:

• $7.99 – 9.99 1/2 lb
• $12.99-19.99 1 lb
• $9.99-12.99 D-Cups (single serve)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.detroitboldcoffee.com
• Instagram: detroitboldcoffee
• Facebook: Detroit Bold
• Twitter: @detroitbold
• Youtube: Detroit Bold

Image Credits
AJ O’Neil