THE STORY
Alpha Coffee: Brewed for the Warrior Spirit
Alpha Coffee was born from a “crazy idea” shared between a husband and wife over a perfect cup of coffee during the height of the Great Recession. Co-founders LTC(R) Carl Churchill, a combat veteran with 21 years of service, and Lori Churchill, a dedicated military spouse, didn’t just want to start a business. They wanted to build a mission.
Their journey began in 2010 in their family basement. Originally named Lock-N-Load Java, the company was a way for the Churchills to “bet on themselves” after a previous business venture collapsed during the financial crisis. With their children helping package bags and attach mailing labels, they grew a loyal online following by focusing on four core principles: Awesome Coffee, Being a Warrior, Having Fun, and Giving Back.
From the Basement to the Big Cottonwood Canyon
In 2016, the brand evolved into Alpha Coffee, and a year later, they opened their first physical storefront at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. This location became a physical manifestation of their “Warrior Ethos”—a place designed for connection, community, and fueling those who live life to the fullest, whether on the battlefield, the boardroom, or the hiking trail.
Coffee with a Cause
As a veteran and woman-owned company, Alpha Coffee’s roots are deeply tied to the military community. Their “Coffee for Troops” program has sent over 22,000 bags of coffee to deployed service members, providing a literal “taste of home” to those stationed overseas. Additionally, through their “Grounds for Good” initiative, they donate over 10% of their profits to nonprofits supporting veterans, the planet, and local communities.
THE CHALLENGE
Launching a scalable wholesale program without operational overhead
While Alpha Coffee successfully conquered the direct-to-consumer (DTC) market and established a beloved local presence in Utah, their high-quality, air-roasted beans caught the attention of larger partners. Cafés, hotels, and offices began seeking the “Alpha Experience” for their own customers.
However, as demand from hospitality groups and regional resellers surged, Alpha Coffee reached a critical crossroads. To continue their mission of service at scale, they needed to move beyond manual wholesale checks and fragmented email orders. They needed a digital infrastructure that could protect their brand’s premium retail experience while providing a professional, high-velocity portal for their growing army of B2B partners.
THE SOLUTION
The solution: BSS B2B Suite
Alpha Coffee uses BSS B2B Suite
USE CASE -01
Configure B2B pricing and a complete onboarding process
Wholesale pricing rules had been one of the biggest friction points for Alpha Coffee. In addition, early wholesale interest came through email and manual reviews, which made it difficult to assign correct pricing and manage buyer groups.
To solve this, the team implemented the BSS B2B Solution app, which allowed robust B2B price lists and customer segmentation. Each group of customers is properly tagged and based on that, Alpha Coffee can assign accurate prices, order limits, and shipping rates for the right segments.
Putting pricing rules, customer groups, and approvals into one system changed how wholesale worked. Now the brand can start running wholesale as a repeatable, scalable channel.
BSS B2B Solution’s automated email notifications also handle approval updates and onboarding messages, keeping buyers informed without additional admin work. Customer records stayed clean, consistent, and usable across Shopify and connected systems, all without disrupting existing DTC workflows.
USE CASE -02
Enable self-service ordering with a custom buyer portal
As wholesale volume increased, repeat buyers wanted a faster way to reorder; while new or larger buyers often requested custom quotes. This pulled sales teams into back-and-forth conversations that slowed deals and created inconsistencies.
To address this, Alpha Coffee used the BSS B2B Quote app that allows a dedicated buyer portal. Regular wholesale customers could log in, place bulk orders through a quick order interface. If needing negotiated terms, an integrated request-for-quote flow replaced email threads with a structured submission process.
With this foundation in place, the team shifted focus from order entry to preserving and improving customer relationships.
USE CASE -03
Separate and secure B2B storefront
Running wholesale alongside DTC introduced an immediate concern. Alpha Coffee needed to protect wholesale pricing and products without fragmenting operations.
To handle this, the team implemented BSS B2B Lock app, which help controlling visibility for all pages. Access rules relied on customer tags, login status, and page-level restrictions, ensuring wholesale buyers only saw what applied to them. With access logic cleared, Alpha Coffee preserved a single Shopify store admin.
Products, inventory, and fulfillment workflows remained unified, while B2B buyer experiences stayed clearly separated.
THE IMPACT
Current achievements and future scalability
Once B2B foundation was established, wholesale operations shifted from reactive to systematic.
Key outcomes included:
- A complete B2B/wholesale experience separated from DTC storefront
- Advanced B2B features without Shopify Plus
- Reduced manual work as repeat buyers moved to self-service ordering
- Greater flexibility to support future integrations through API-ready architecture
As wholesale operations matured, Alpha Coffee needed tighter connections to external accounting tools and data mapping systems. Locking wholesale workflows inside isolated apps would have limited that flexibility.
With API access in place, customer records, price lists, quotes, and orders could be synced with ERP, CRM, or finance platforms. Alpha Coffee can maintain Shopify as the central commerce layer while extending functionality outward when needed.
