About Us

Mad Goat – Great Coffee – Happy People

Legend claims coffee was first discovered (c. 800 AD) by an Ethiopian goatherd who noticed his goats acting crazy after eating coffee cherries.  Coffee was first steeped as a tea and eventually roasted and brewed. Over a thousand years later, here we are drinking those amazing magic beans.  Thank you, mad goats.  

We believe the perfect coffee is the one you like. We like ours sourced as fresh as possible, carefully roasted to optimum flavor, and brewed with excellence. We think you will, too.

Coffee isn’t meant to be consumed alone.  Sure, you might have your rushed cup on the way to work, but we love to imagine you enjoying a cup at a family gathering or meeting a friend at one of our cafes. We are made for community, and we benefit from participating in and enriching the communities around us.  
Mad Goat Coffee was established in 2014 to serve excellent coffee and provide a gathering space for the people of Danville, Illinois and Vermilion County. With freshly roasted coffee, quality ingredients, and a welcoming space, we’re committed to serving our customers with care. Whether you’re near or far, we hope you enjoy our coffee and your community.
  

We believe in community.  We believe in quality.  We believe in sticking to your word.  We believe in building each other up.  We believe in hard-work and self-determination.  We believe in honoring your local community and it's artisans by doing business there, spending your money there, producing there, and generally being a peaceful and agreeable person.  We know most of you feel the same way we do. Come join us in the fun.

The Mad Goat Coffee Story

Sam (our owner/manager) was at a local fast food joint trying to study one evening.  With no local Starbucks and a local coffee shop closing up at 3pm daily, he had no other options.  As soon as he settled into a booth and took out his notes, a bus full of high school volleyball players headed in to grab hamburgers.  This environment wasn’t quite cutting it for studying. 

He began to wonder what it would take to create a space in Danville that provided world-class coffee and a welcoming, relaxed environment for people to gather. Insert Hannah (Sam’s sister) and her husband Drew.  They had previously owned a coffee shop in Bloomington, IL (Coffee Nation) and their knowledge was instrumental in the start of Mad Goat. The final step was for Sam to convince his wife, Rachel, to remortgage their home for some start up money and with that Mad Goat Coffee became a reality and the doors to our North Vermilion location opened in 2014. Since day one, we’ve had amazing support from loyal customers who have loved our lattes, chai, delicious scones, and freshly roasted beans.  We believed then that Danville deserved such a space and we continue in that belief in how we operate Mad Goat today.

For several years, Sam continued his job as a purchasing agent and ran Mad Goat Coffee on the side. In 2017, he took on the full-time owner and manager role, joined by a small, dedicated team of baristas and Drew continuing to serve as a part-time roaster.  We expanded to a second Danville location and separate coffee lab and roastery in 2019. Mad Goat has grown to become a central hub in our community and a supplier of delicious beans to customers around the country, and at the end of the day we're just a small team working together to serve our customers near and far.

  

Interested in starting a coffee shop or similar business?  We’ve learned a lot from our business experience and often have people reach out as they are gathering information to start their own coffee shop, bakery, or roastery.  We’re happy to share what we’ve learned and answer any questions to help you navigate your venture. Sam is available for consulting via phone or email for a fee. Reach out to orders@madgoatcoffee.com 

Interested in wholesale coffee for your café, restaurant, church, or business? 
We’d love to connect.  Email us at orders@madgoatcoffee.com