FDC Featured In Nationwide Walmart Commercial and Celebrates Community Roots in Rockford

It started with a firefighter and a barista, roasting coffee together in Rockford, Illinois.

Now, Fire Department Coffee is on shelves nationwide — and still showing up for the hometown that helped launch it all.

On Monday, the Fire Department Coffee team gathered at the Rockford Walmart Supercenter to celebrate a major milestone: the launch of our national commercial with Walmart, part of their new “Who Knew?” campaign. We were honored to share the story behind Fire Department Coffee — a mission-driven company rooted in service, fueled by passion, and made in America.

But the celebration was about more than just a commercial. It was about giving back.

Together with Walmart, we presented a $10,000 check to the City of Rockford to benefit Rockford Fire Department Peer Support. It’s a cause close to our hearts and a program that makes a real difference in the lives of firefighters.

"What amazes me beyond taking vacant buildings and turning them into fantastic community assets and hiring residents with livable wage jobs, is FDC is constantly caring for our first responders, families and communities impacted by major weather events and have always and continue to care for City of Rockford, Illinois!" said Mayor Tom McNamara of Rockford, Illinois.

It felt right to celebrate this moment here, in the city where Fire Department Coffee began. Because no matter how far our coffee takes us, Rockford is always home.

From Local Roast to National Reach

Our new commercial is a 30-second glimpse into who we are and what we believe. It features Fire Department Coffee founder and CEO Luke Schneider alongside SVP Jason Patton, sharing the story of the company and how it strives to support the firefighting community.

“Fire Department Coffee started with an idea and a love for coffee,” Schneider said. “When I was a firefighter here in Rockford, Illinois, my wife was a barista. We started roasting coffee together, and from the beginning with Fire Department Coffee, we wanted to do more than just make great coffee. We wanted to give back and support our community and fellow firefighters.”

That mission has guided everything we’ve done — from creating specialty roasts to launching the Fire Department Coffee Charitable Foundation, which supports sick or injured firefighters and responds to natural disasters nationwide.

We connected with Walmart through their Open Call initiative, a program designed to support U.S.-made, grown, or assembled products. When Fire Department Coffee earned a spot to pitch at Open Call, we had one goal in mind: show them who we are, what we stand for, and how we could grow — together.

We walked away with a golden ticket. And it changed everything.

Today, Fire Department Coffee is available in Walmart stores across the country, with 10 products now on shelves nationwide. That expansion has helped us reach more customers than ever before. But more importantly, it’s fueled our ability to give back on a much larger scale.

“Walmart has been a huge part in fueling that growth and our ability to give back and support more firefighters and support our communities in times of disaster as well,” Schneider said. 

A Celebration of Growth, Gratitude and Giving Back

At Monday’s event, we brought Rescue-1 — our custom Rosenbauer America fire truck designed to respond to natural disasters and bring relief to communities in need and to the first responders helping on scene. It’s fully stocked with supplies and powered by the same mission that’s driven us from the beginning.

The idea came from one of our own team members, Director of Brand Relations Randy James, and it’s now a rolling reminder of how far we’ve come — and how much we can do when we work together.

People gathered at the Rockford Supercenter to meet our team, drink delicious coffee, and savor the moment. It was loud. It was fun. It felt like family.

The $10,000 donation we presented at the event will directly support Rockford Fire Department’s Peer Support Program — a vital resource that helps firefighters process the emotional toll of the job, look out for one another, and stay mentally strong.

It’s one of many similar programs that we’ve supported through the Fire Department Coffee Charitable Foundation. We’ve seen firsthand how much it matters. We’re proud to stand alongside Walmart in making sure hometown firefighters always have the support they need.

For us, this wasn’t just another stop on the map. It was a celebration of where it all began — the station kitchens and coffee pots of Rockford, Illinois. It was a chance to say thank you, an opportunity to show what’s possible when a good idea meets the right people at the right time.

We’re grateful to Walmart for believing in us, for investing in American-made, veteran-owned products and for helping us grow without ever losing sight of our mission. As we continue to expand and innovate, one thing will never change: our commitment to crafting great coffee and supporting those who serve.

For Fire Department Coffee, every cup is an opportunity to give back.