Question 1

What inspired you to start your business?

Accepted Answer

With aspirations to start our own business a few years ago, we had the opportunity to purchase Black Coffee Apparel from the original founder/artist, who is also a friend. As longtime customers, we already loved the brand and what it stood for. We wanted to preserve what made it special while also making it our own. The goal was to expand our reach by growing the brand in our hometown of Ottawa while creating a larger platform for artists to share their work. Our goal has always been to honour the brand’s roots while providing ethically sourced apparel.

Question 2

How would you describe Black Coffee Apparel?

Accepted Answer

As one of Ottawa’s original clothing brands, Black Coffee Apparel is rooted in skateboard culture, creative expression, and community. The brand has always reflected independence, authenticity, and a commitment to creating clothing that’s a little different.

At Black Coffee Apparel, we design and produce a wide range of clothing, including tees, hoodies, and sweatshirts — all designed and printed in Ottawa. We’re proud that all of our clothing is made using fair labour standards and environmentally friendly materials, without sacrificing quality or durability.

In addition to our apparel, Black Coffee also makes limited-run skateboards that reflect our ties to the local community. A big part of the brand is working with small, independent artists to create original graphics and designs that our customers love. These partnerships also help artists reach a wider audience.

We’re deeply proud of our hometown. Ottawa’s influence is woven throughout the brand, with subtle nods to the 613 appearing in some designs. By combining local screen printing, ethical production, artist-driven design, and skateboarding roots, Black Coffee continues to grow while staying true to the brand that first inspired us 10 years ago.

Question 3

What's your bestselling product & why do you think it's so popular?

Accepted Answer

Our customers are always excited to see a new design come out, but our all time best seller has to be the '99 Rideau' designed by local artist Falldown.

The 99 Rideau actually started on a skateboard deck but within the first week of its release, our inbox blew up with people asking us to put it on apparel. We immediately went back to the artist and created a larger version that would work on tees, crewnecks, and hoodies.

Part of what makes this design so popular is that it captures a piece of Ottawa legend — the infamous 99 Rideau McDonald’s which was known for some wild late night antics and became a viral moment in 2014 when someone pulled a baby raccoon out of their sweater during a late night melee, a clip that spread far beyond the city and became a shared local memory. People still talk about it because it’s funny, bizarre, and unmistakably Ottawa. It's a story that’s been referenced in halloween costumes, chats about downtown memories, and nostalgic throwbacks online.

We even share clips of the original footage on our Instagram. Fun fact - the person who shot the original video (which made national news) is a customer of ours and has one of the boards hanging in his business. The 99 Rideau is a design we try to keep fresh every season, with the most recent being heavyweight hoodies for the winter in the colour Grimace Haze.

Question 4

When did you launch Black Coffee Apparel?

Accepted Answer

In business since 2015 but a new online store in 2023.

Question 5

What's your favourite product from your own shop?

Accepted Answer

We just released a new series with local artist DAWD (Dave Fortier). This one brings an Art Deco vibe which brings a new vibe to Black Coffee Apparel.

Question 6

What's your favourite local Ottawa business?

Accepted Answer

Beandigen Cafe - A Indigenous owned coffee shop located at TD Place.

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