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This Guy Quit His Job To Live & Sell Coffee Out Of A Volkswagen Bus

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

When you’re having a bad day at work, the phone won’t stop ringing and there’s too much to do, most of us have thought, “I wish I could just quit and travel the country.” But for one ambitious guy from Colorado, that daydream turned into reality.

Meet Erik Gordon, founder of Carabiner Coffee.

Carabiner Coffee
Photo by Facebook/Carabiner Coffee

Wanting more freedom and adventure, Erik left his career as a climbing instructor and gained experience from a local coffee shop. Months later, after he had a good grip on the coffee-making process, he took off in a vintage 1971 Volkswagen bus – dubbed Ol’ Blue – and has been traveling and selling the delicious caffeinated fuel since.

Carabiner Coffee
Photo by Facebook/Carabiner Coffee

The company is based out of Colorado, but he sells his finely roasted coffee and snacks in a new site on a daily basis. His homemade goods have been enjoyed everywhere from the foothills of the Colorado Rockies to California and the coffee capital of Seattle.

Carabiner Coffee
Photo by Facebook/Carabiner Coffee

He brews Light, Medium and Dark Roasts with beans from four different countries: Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Sumatra and Guatemala. The options include:

  • “The Dream” – a light roast that blends blackberry and honeycomb flavors with a velvety finish
  • “The Skooch” – his perfectly balanced medium roast with hints of rum and toasted almond
  • “The Business” – a rich, dark roast with fine notes of blueberry and cocoa
Carabiner Coffee
Photo by Facebook/Carabiner Coffee

If you’d like to try the roasts but don’t want to chase down his VW bus, you’re still in luck.

Carabiner Coffee
Photo by Facebook/Carabiner Coffee

He offers subscriptions so you can have fresh beans shipped to your doorstep on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. The prices range from $16 up to $40 (available on his website here).

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Aside from selling coffee, his mobile bus has allowed him to travel and see beautiful landscapes all over the country.

Carabiner Coffee
Photo by Facebook/Carabiner Coffee

Pictured above, he was heading through California’s Joshua Tree National Park.

He’s now expanded the company to three vans. In addition to Ol’ Blue he has a bright yellow Volkswagen known as “Daisy”, and a white van named “Pearl” that he’ll drive anywhere (and everywhere) to cater special events.

For the latest updates on where he’s currently selling java, follow him Instagram at @CarabinerCoffee. You can also get to know Erik and Carabiner Coffee better in this short clip from Dylan Magaster on Youtube:

How inspiring! Would you love to own a mobile business?

 

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