Beautiful Bastard Coffee

When Philip DeFranco announced on The Philip DeFranco Show on September 4, 2023 that he was launching a "small-batch coffee company," few onlookers expected the project to read like a textbook example of direct-to-consumer speed-to-market from a digital creator: three curated roasts (Guiding Light, Happy Medium, and Dark Matter), an aggressive first-day 50% off offer, and a capped initial availability that DeFranco framed as scarcity-by-design — "I'll likely only be able to do 2,000 orders today," he told listeners. ([podscripts.co](^[1]))

The coffee initiative was a logical addendum to a broader creator-economy playbook DeFranco had been assembling since 2019. 'Beautiful Bastard' began as a branded merch and grooming line (hair-care products debuted in February 2019) and over the next years became a recognizable imprint for limited apparel drops and lifestyle items. That existing brand equity — and a near-daily audience measured in millions of YouTube views — turned into a launch engine the moment he chose to enter food & beverage. ([imdb.com](^[2]), [beautifulbastard.com](^[3]))

Operationally, the coffee launched as a classic creator direct-to-consumer business. The public storefront, marketed as Wake & Make (wakeandmake.com / wakeandmakecoffee.com), listed 12oz bags priced at about $18–$19.95 and a 3-bag variety pack during the launch window, plus a limited "International Coffee of the Month" club that promised a few hundred subscription spots. Product copy emphasized small-batch roasting, single-origin sourcing for specific roasts (Costa Rica for the light, Brazil for the dark) and low-acidity profiles. ([wakeandmake.com](^[4]))

Design and packaging were not an afterthought. DeFranco commissioned creative collaborators; packaging studio Wotto Art published a case post describing the Wake & Make brief and deliveries in September 2023, signaling that the product identity and physical presentation were treated as strategic assets rather than basic e-commerce labels. The brand leaned on hand-drawn doodle-style art to distinguish the three roasts and to align the coffee visually with the irreverent Beautiful Bastard tone. ([wottoart.com](^[5]))

From a go-to-market perspective, the strategy was textbook creator-fueled commerce: (1) seed demand through DeFranco's daily videos, podcast episodes and newsletter; (2) convert superfans with limited-time pricing and scarcity cues (the 50% launch promotion and the capped early allocation); (3) capture subscription revenue via a coffee-of-the-month club; and (4) iterate based on direct feedback from an engaged community (early reviews and social posts were prominently reused in marketing). DeFranco explicitly framed the launch as one he expected to 'take a loss' on to accelerate sampling and positive reviews. ([podscripts.co](^[1]), [wakeandmake.com](^[6]))

That creator-first model generated an early sell-through and social buzz, but it also exposed the operation to classic DTC growing pains. Because Wake & Make was run as a small-batch roastery / Shopify storefront rather than via supermarket distribution, inventory planning and fulfillment cadence drove customer experience. Public pages showed hundreds of reviews (the three-bag product pages referenced review counts in the 300–850+ range at various snapshots), which argues that thousands of units were sold — but DeFranco's team did not publish unit sales, GMV, or margin figures. ([wakeandmake.com](^[7]))

Two sets of constraints defined the brand's early trajectory. First, the food & beverage category is operationally unforgiving: coffee freshness, roast consistency, and supply-chain traceability are table stakes. Wake & Make's packaging and small-batch rhetoric signaled quality focus, but the business still depended on third-party roasters, co-packers and logistics partners whose names and terms the company did not publicly disclose. Second, creator commerce is publicity-driven: spikes in demand tied to promotion cycles can outpace the back-end, creating restocks and gaps that temper repeat-purchase momentum unless subscriptions convert reliably. Public messaging across DeFranco’s channels in late 2023 and beyond referenced intermittent restocks and club-limited openings, consistent with a measured, scarcity-driven cadence. ([toppodcast.com](^[8]), [wakeandmake.com](^[6]))

Beyond operations, the brand benefited from DeFranco’s particular credibility. He had cultivated a 'news-influencer' image since the mid-2000s, and his audience trusts his taste cues in nonpolitical categories; the coffee launch leaned heavily on that social capital. Yet that same closeness with fans created a high bar: a creator's personal controversies or perceived missteps can spill into product trust. DeFranco had past controversies — notably the BetterHelp sponsorship fallout in 2018 — but there is no public record tying those scandals to measurable damage to the coffee business. The launch was nevertheless structured to minimize reputational risk: small batches, transparency about tasting notes, and continuous community-facing communication. ([en.wikipedia.org](^[9]), [podscripts.co](^[1]))

Financially, the public record is sparse. Wake & Make sold 12oz bags at roughly $18–$19.95 and offered subscription and variety pack options, and product pages captured hundreds of customer reviews — a credible signal of low-to-mid tens of thousands of units sold across the first 12–18 months if industry review-to-sales ratios apply. However, there are no filings, press releases, investor decks, or disclosed funding rounds tied to Wake & Make, and DeFranco did not announce a venture capital raise or strategic acquirer as of mid-2025. In short: strong early demand, but no public financials or valuation. ([wakeandmake.com](^[4]))

What Wake & Make (and the Beautiful Bastard umbrella more broadly) demonstrated was an owner-operator route into F&B that prioritizes speed, brand voice and community testing over heavy upfront capex. The brand's biggest wins were engagement and conversion: an enthusiastic first-day response, thousands of customer reviews and an enduring merch ecosystem (Beautiful Bastard remains the merchandising anchor for DeFranco’s audience). The biggest constraint remains scale: converting a viral creator drop into a repeatable, margin-rich beverage business requires either significant investment in roasting and distribution or a long-term, disciplined subscription funnel. ([podscripts.co](^[1]), [beautifulbastard.com](^[3]))

For industry observers and celebrity entrepreneurs, the Wake & Make story is a case study in what works — and what is left to prove. DeFranco translated direct trust into trial at low marketing cost by selling to an audience he controls. But the next, harder step is creating unit economics that survive when the promotional faucet turns off: improving retention, diversifying channels (retail placement, wholesale accounts), and locking supply for consistent roast quality. As of August 2025, the company had not publicly disclosed revenue, valuation, or ownership transitions; its public footprint is that of a creator-owned DTC brand that has tested product-market fit but not announced a leap to mass retail. ([wakeandmake.com](^[6]))

• February 2019: Philip DeFranco launches the Beautiful Bastard branded line (men’s grooming / hair care).
• June 23, 2020: DeFranco signs with Semaphore Licensing Solutions to seek manufacturing and retail partners for creator-branded products.
• November 18, 2021: DeFranco named Chief Creator Officer at Fourthwall (creator commerce/startup tie-in that supported creator-owned storefronts).
• September 4, 2023: Philip DeFranco publicly announces a small-batch coffee launch on The Philip DeFranco Show, promoting three roasts and a 50% opening offer with a capped initial allocation ("likely only be able to do 2,000 orders today").
• September 12, 2023: Packaging partner Wotto Art posts case details about creating Wake & Make Coffee packaging, confirming a design collaboration and the brand's small-batch positioning.
• October–November 2023: Wake & Make runs restock and subscription-club promotions tied to DeFranco’s shows and podcasts; product pages and marketing emphasize limited monthly club spots and subscription options.
• 2024–2025 (ongoing): Wake & Make product pages display hundreds of customer reviews (site snippets 300–855+ reviews across product pages) and DTC pricing around $18–$19.95 per 12oz bag — indicating sustained DTC sales though no public financial disclosures.