A Georgia-based tea and coffee company founded by an Iraq War veteran is building a national brand rooted in American history while prioritizing employment and purpose for former service members.
Roger Owens, a veteran and longtime coffee drinker, discovered a taste for tea through his wife, Aimee, and their son. After searching for an American-themed, veteran-owned tea company and finding none, the couple launched Star Spangled Tea & Coffee Co. from their Columbus dining room during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My son and my wife got me drinking tea, and I was really not a tea drinker, I was more of a coffee guy,” Roger Owens said. “We kind of looked at each other and decided to start our own.”
Nearly four years later, the company has moved well beyond its dining-room origins. Star Spangled Tea & Coffee now offers premium loose-leaf teas and coffees inspired by American landmarks, regional flavors, and national parks. Blends feature ingredients such as Georgia peaches and Florida key limes, while the product line extends to historic sites and presidential libraries.
Star Spangled Tea & Coffee founder Roger Owens, left, poses with his wife, Aimee Owens, and their son, Alex Owens. (Star Spangled Tea & Coffee Co.)
“We didn’t know anything about tea to begin with,” Owens admitted. “Trying to start a business during COVID was not easy.”
Today, the company’s products are stocked at museums, state parks, historic destinations, and specialty retailers nationwide, with shipping available to all 50 states, military addresses overseas, and U.S. territories. The brand expanded into coffee last year following persistent customer demand, introducing blends such as the “Great American Road Trip” light roast—developed in partnership with Freedom 250 to commemorate the nation’s approaching 250th anniversary—alongside a cherry blossom-inspired White House blend and the history-focused Liberty Tea.
Star Spangled Tea & Coffee products are displayed at an event. The Georgia-based company sells blends inspired by American history, landmarks and regional flavors. (Star Spangled Tea & Coffee Co.)
Beyond product development, the company’s core mission centers on the veteran community. Owens emphasizes that the business aims to restore the camaraderie and sense of mission many veterans lose after leaving military service.
“You’re used to being [part of] a team and then when you get out of the military, you’re alone other than your family, and it’s like somebody pulled the carpet out from under you,” Owens said. “We want veterans to find more than just a job. We’re looking for them to find purpose.”
Looking ahead, Owens envisions Star Spangled Tea & Coffee evolving into “America’s next destination brand,” with plans to open physical retail locations across the country where customers can gather over tea and coffee to “celebrate what unites us.” The company is actively seeking investors and strategic partners to fund expansion, broaden its product line, and hire more veterans.
“We didn’t want politics involved in this, we wanted it to be for all Americans,” Owens said.
