Founders Note: Cheers to 10 Years!
In early 2016, Queen City was just an idea. Luke had just returned from living in the coffee-filled hills of Nicaragua, and Scott and Eric had both come back from recent trips to East Africa; each of us returning with some early-stage inspiration and ideas. We filed papers in August, and just like that, Queen City was real.
A 1-kilo roaster and a few bags of green coffee were purchased and placed in Scott’s garage, where samples were roasted, and craft bags were filled for our earliest partners and our very first customers. When a neighbor called the local authorities one too many times to report the smoke billowing out of a dryer vent dangling from the garage window, we moved our little roaster to a converted storage closet in the back of East Colfax's legendary coffee & whiskey bar — Bellwether (RIP).
We’ve come a long way since those early days. We found our first retail location on the corner of 1st and Cherokee in the incredible Baker neighborhood in 2018 and hired our first two employees, the incredible Matt and Sam. We opened a second location in 2019, just months before the world screeched to a halt because of that global pandemic you all might remember. We scraped our way through difficult family losses and continued to find new neighborhoods that welcomed us with open arms and wholesale partners we’re proud to work alongside.
Looking back, we remember those early years vividly — the uncertainty, the long hours, the moments when we questioned if we could actually pull this off. We didn't have all the answers, and honestly, we still don't. But we did have a commitment to doing things right: sourcing exceptional coffee directly from farmers who've become friends, roasting with intention and care, and showing up consistently for the people who choose us. That foundation hasn't changed. If anything, a decade in has only deepened our appreciation for the craft and the relationships that make it meaningful.
Denver has always been home, and building QC here shaped our grit, our work ethic, and our values. Today, operating seven cafes alongside a growing wholesale family still feels wild, and none of it happens without the incredible team who shows up early, stays late, believes when things get scrappy, and continues to work to turn a rough idea into something real.
Because of your support — from our day-one believers to the new faces joining along the way — our coffee has traveled far beyond our walls. It's been poured into cups around the world, fueling early morning adventures, late nights, long shifts, road trips, and conversations that matter. This whole thing has always been about community, and we're grateful to be building it with you.
Throughout our journey, we've worked to stay grounded in the simple truth that good coffee comes from good relationships — with the farmers who grow it, the team who roasts and serves it, and the community who drinks it. Those connections aren't just nice to have; they're the whole point. They're what gets us out of bed in the early hours to fire up the roaster, what pushes us to solve problems creatively when things get tough, and what reminds us why we started this in the first place.
Ten years feels like both a milestone and another beginning. We're proud of what we've built, but we're even more excited about what's ahead — the coffee we'll source, the people we'll meet, the moments we'll share. Growth isn't just about more cafes or more wholesale accounts; it's about deepening our commitment to quality, sustainability, and showing up fully for all of our communities.
More than anything, we’re deeply grateful.
We’re grateful for the communities that have embraced our story and brand. We’re grateful for each and every team member–past and present–that has been a part of the QC Fam and story. We’re grateful for the partners and patrons who have shared our story and coffee in corners around the world. And we’re grateful for you.
Thank you for being a part of the QC journey and an integral part of our story.
Here’s to the adventures ahead and the next 10 years. Cheers to the journey!
With gratitude and love,
Scott, Eric & Luke
