Trident Coffee is an Imperial Beach-based coffee roaster established in 2016 by brothers Eric and Matt Johnson. They focus on nitro cold brews (some with MCT oils and added infusions) and keto-friendly products. We spoke with Josh Moffie, the company’s director of business development.
WC: How has the pandemic impacted your business?
JM: This mess came down during a pretty pivotal moment for the business, although we’re small enough with low enough expenses that the situation didn’t put a huge damper on our plans. We used the downtime to really strategize on where we’re going; we took a step back and took a deep breath. It became clear to us really quickly that we wanted to give back: we decided to do a buy-one, give-one coffee bag program for first responders at hospitals, fire departments — anyone on the front lines kicking ass, and we gave out over 300 bags, plus four-packs of our cans.
WC: What’s next for Trident?
JM: In this current environment, we’re trying to find that happy medium between making moves and still making smart business decisions that won’t hurt us in the long run. Our retail spot in Imperial Beach is doing well — people come in before or after their workouts, and grab-and-go with their coffee and donuts by the hike and bike trail. Behind the scenes, we’re non-stop innovating; we’re working on our sweet coffees, while still staying health-conscious by using monkfruit extract as a sweetener, and not adding the bad calories. We’re also refining our keto protein donuts, and I always get a kick out of watching folks take that first bite! Our co-founder Matt Johnson was a top-tier chef around San Diego for years, and he’s helping us be the Dunkin’ Donuts for health-conscious people. On the horizon, we’re looking to open a retail shop in Coronado.
WC: What’s the status of the new Trident Truck?
JM: We bought and wrapped a big Mercedes Sprinter van and retrofitted it with a nice cooler that’s solar-powered, so when you open the door it’s like a little coffee shop in there. For awhile, we were going to the military bases and slanging coffee and donuts but, because of COVID, that’s on pause. We’re looking forward to getting the truck back out there soon, to golf outings, conventions, anywhere people would want some killer coffee and donuts.