Howell Local Brings Bold Coffee To NJ With 'Edgar Allan Joe'

HOWELL, NJ - Dillon Cafiero has always dreamed of owning his own business, but it wasn’t until the coronavirus pandemic that the "perfect opportunity" fell into his lap.

A self-described coffee lover, the Howell resident has been in the customer service industry for over a decade, most recently working as a barista for 18 months, then as a manager at a phone service company for three years, aiming to build a career and assets in the hopes of slowly growing a coffee company.

“I wasn’t sure what my passion in life was until I started working in coffee and then it all clicked,” Cafiero told Patch. “When I was working in coffee, I learned the process behind certain drinks, the differences between beans and roasts. There’s so much science, art and culture behind coffee and I slowly fell in love with the whole industry. It just dawned on me one day, seeing someone smile while giving them their first cup of coffee in the morning. I love making people happy and I love making coffee - this is it, this is what I want to do.”

It was when Cafiero was ultimately laid off in June of this year due to the pandemic that his timing to kickstart the business “just felt right," according to the entrepreneur:

“I had a fork in the road: it was like, get another job and push off my dream or do I just pull the trigger and go for it now?,” Cafiero continued. “You just have to do it. I don’t want to regret never starting it.”

What’s in a name?

First opening in September 2020, the new coffee ground business touts original blends, mugs and merchandise inspired by a certain Romantic writer. Cafiero says the name for his one-of-a-kind coffee company came instantaneously: Edgar Allan Joe.

“Growing up, I really wasn’t into literature or anything like that. But the only person in high school that really stood out to me, that made me enjoy literature a little bit more was Edgar Allan Poe,” Cafiero said. “When I worked for Disney World, I remember talking to one of my friends, and we were talking about coffee and I think the name got thrown in there. And it was a lightbulb immediately. It flew out of my mouth, and it was perfect. I was like, ‘this is what I want to do. Now I just need to figure out how I’m going to create a coffee business.’”

While the original goal with this business in mind was to have a storefront, after being laid off in June and with COVID-19, Cafiero said the pandemic put a twist on his initial business plan. After sourcing locals to help design the logo, package merchandise and even provide a unique variety of whole beans, Cafiero opened EdgarAllanJoeNJ.com to the public on Sept. 14 to a virtual line of customers. Within three months, he was hand-delivering from Toms River to Old Bridge and shipping grounds to Idaho, Oklahoma and beyond - and he says he hasn't received a bad review yet.

"The typically dark tones contained within his magically enticing words can only be matched by the darkness of a fresh pot of Joe," reads the website description. "Here at Edgar Allan Joe Coffee, we strive to match Poe’s personality through our coffee’s enchanting aroma and incredibly bold flavor."

Cafiero told Patch that he recruits local artists, wholesalers, graphic designers, clothing manufacturers and social media help whenever he can, a testament to the powerful support for local business he grew up with.

“I grew up in Howell, I’ve lived here my whole life. Anyone who’s known me knows I’ve wanted to start this brand for years, and once I started getting the word out - even before the business officially launched - everyone was waiting at midnight to be the first customer,” Cafiero said. “Friends have been telling their friends, their family, and it’s been a lot of support. That’s what I love about Howell - it’s a great place that supports small businesses. We support each other so much in this town. I’m very grateful for everything so far.”

“You have to be your own boss”

Although Cafiero managed to start a growing business in less than six months, he says Edgar Allan Joe is years in the making. In fact, as he was reeling from the loss of his job in June, he found a long-forgotten sketch of a logo idea that a friend had drawn months prior. Cafiero says he took it as a sign.

“I was looking at it, and I decided ‘this is what I’m going to do.’ I was reflecting, and I was like, ‘do I go back to old jobs that I can reapply to?’ After that, I was telling myself, I don’t want to mess around. I need to grind, there are no excuses. This business will have my full attention right now.”

Cafiero recalled in July he quickly wrote out a business plan, defined his goals and target audience as to not waste any time. He has since clocked in approximately 2,500 miles delivering coffee grounds to New Jersey homes and traveled to Asbury Park and other Shore towns - decked out in his own merchandise, of course - to spread the word about Edgar Allan Joe.

The entrepreneur says that, while the pandemic delayed his ability to create a storefront, he hopes to open one eventually. Cafiero says that, before establishing a brick-and-mortar store, he dreams of selling individual coffees, cold brews and food from a truck that he can take anywhere, from farmers markets to parks to Howell Day.

But for Cafiero, the biggest hurdle he’s overcome thus far is self-doubt. He told Patch that the new business has allowed him to fill shoes he’d only dreamt of before, allowing him to push himself as an entrepreneur:

“When you own a new business or start a new business, you have to be your own boss. On everything you do, you have to hold yourself accountable. There’s no one else that’s going to. You don’t have a manager to hold you accountable or someone to tell you that you’re late to your shift. If you make a business mistake, it’s on you. The biggest thing is accountability for me. You have to change your mindset almost, as an employee for a long time, I’ve had to change how I operate,” Cafiero said.

“This whole process, it’s scary. You’re constantly going outside of your comfort zone and asking for certain things. But dealing with so many people during the process is so much simpler, and that’s why I was able to seamlessly create a business in two and a half months out of nothing.”

Edgar Allan Joe ships original coffee blends and merchandise to all 50 states. For more information, visit www.edgarallanjoenj.com.

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