Fargo, North Dakota – America
We’re taking a ride into the upper midwestern part of the United States, where we find some booming good coffee being brewed under the endless sky. Skyler Dutton takes a moment from the days hustle to chat with La Marzocco Home about how he started Thunder Coffee many years ago with his wife, Nicole, and his brother, Dexter. The company began as a tiny mobile coffee cart, but they have since grown it into two beautiful cafés, a roastery, and, most importantly, the heart of a community.
Starting with an Endless Sky – The Early Days
Skyler sets the scene for this epic tale from the driver’s seat of his car, parked down the street from one of Thunder’s busy cafes. Skyler grew up in Glasgow, Montana and he fondly mentions that Oxford University recently determined it to be the middle of nowhere. ‘Growing up there, it was very remote and not the Montana that people think of,’ says Skyler. ‘People think of Western Montana—Bozeman, Missoula, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park. It’s not that.’ He grew up going to Fort Peck Lake, hanging out on the dam with his brothers and friends, usually fishing or camping. ‘I grew up in that era where you weren’t allowed in the house as a kid. You were just supposed to go outside and make your own fun or mischief,’ Skyler recalls.
With all the outdoor activities, there wasn’t much room for coffee in his early days. Even later on, his path to creating a coffee pop-up was far from linear. Going back to that first sip, it would have been hard to predict he’d own a coffee shop one day. He vividly remembers ‘taking a drink of my dad’s coffee that he got from the local Cenex gas station. As a kid, it was terrible, and I asked my dad, “Why do you drink this?” He said, “Well, mostly because it’s free.” And that was that; I kinda swore off the stuff.’ Skyler wouldn’t try coffee again for a long time. His family didn’t stay in Glasgow either, their next years were full of moving all around America. Skyler and his two brothers each ended up graduating high school in a different state. But eventually, he himself settled in Fargo, North Dakota, where eventually his dream of a mobile coffee cart took shape. But not just yet! After graduating college, he worked as a police officer for 10 years before eventually decided that a career in law enforcement was not exactly what he wanted for himself. After resigning, he struggled to find his path in Fargo and tried several different jobs, even leaving for two years to pursue work in the oil fields of western North Dakota.
In 2016, coffee entered his life again when his brother Dexter visited from Oklahoma, bringing all his pourover equipment with him. This time around, Skyler found the coffee-drinking experience completely different, and from that moment on, he was no longer sworn off coffee! In fact, that visit inspired him to start brewing coffee at home and to seek out cafés serving well-made espresso. Unfortunately for him—but lucky for us—the only cafés offering specialty coffee were on the other end of town.
Skyler decided Fargo needed another café.
With this new dream building in his mind, Skyler ask his brother if he would move across the country to start a coffee shop with him, and Dexter said yes. Already involved in the specialty coffee scene in Oklahoma, Dexter was ready to help introduce it to the community of North Dakota alongside Skyler and his wife, Nicole.
Photo by Studio Freshly.
The Formation of Thunder Coffee
Being ready to serve coffee is one thing, but starting a company is another. Choosing a name for the business was the team’s first challenge. Skyler told us, ‘Picking the name was like trying to order pizza. Everyone thought it should be something different.’ After many debates and back-and-forth discussions, they decided on Thunder Coffee. The name represents a part of each of them. Dexter, being from Oklahoma, is a fan of the Oklahoma City basketball team called ‘Thunder.’ Nicole went to North Dakota State University, whose mascot is the bison, referred to as ‘The Thundering Herd.’ For Skyler, there’s a biblical reference to the sons of thunder, where the brothers went from being rough and confrontational to having a heart for people. ‘That’s pretty reflective of my transformation, going from law enforcement to a position where we can really affect good change and have a positive impact within the community here in Fargo,’ Skyler told La Marzocco Home.
They started serving their first cups as
Thunder Coffee in July 2017.
It was a very humble beginning, with a small setup costing about $300, serving cold brew, cold brew lattes, and pour-overs at the local farmers market. People are often hesitant to try something new, and the team felt this strongly when trying to get their brand off the ground. But Fargo is a supportive community, and the crew soon gained the traction they needed to grow. They purchased their first Linea Mini and debuted it at a tattoo and motorcycle expo, which is now celebrating its 10th and final year. Thunder Coffee has served at that same expo every year since that memorable day!
Lightning Strikes
Starting a business requires the ability to handle stress, but more importantly, it demands resilience—being able to move forward when the pressure feels overwhelming. Thunder Coffee faced its share of challenges. In the early days, the team reinvested every penny they earned back into the company, whether it was for purchasing more coffee or upgrading equipment. Skyler recalled a particularly tough moment ‘One time, I loaded some coffee in the back of my pickup and didn’t secure it. When I started driving, it tipped over, and everything fell out. I remember standing there, welling up with tears. That was the money we were going to use to buy the next round of beans.’ Despite the setback, they persevered and pushed forward, finding a way to keep going.
When you have to do it yourself…
and you choose the hard way.
On another occasion during the early days of the coffee pop-up, Skyler needed to work a full-time ‘day job’ while they were building up the coffee cart business. ‘I happened to find a job traveling the state doing safety presentations. One time, I tried to make it out to do an event after one of these trips,’ he recalls. He had planned for someone to prepare the coffee setup ahead of time so he could just grab it and go, but when he arrived, he found that things weren’t done. ‘That’s when I threw a temper tantrum,’ Skyler said. ‘Because things weren’t prepped like I thought they would be, and in my own house—since we were operating out of our garage at the time—I grabbed a full bag of cocoa powder and threw it against the wall without thinking.’
It was an immediate regret as the cocoa powder exploded everywhere, and he still had to work the event, plus apologize to Nicole and promise to clean it up. That story became an unfortunate but hilarious marker in the company’s history. So much so that when they recently threw one of their first hires a big going-away party, the employee requested to throw a bag of cocoa powder on his last day. ‘So we let him,’ Skyler says. ‘He threw it straight down, and it covered him for the rest of the day.’
The initial years of Thunder Coffee were filled with challenges, but these moments shaped the business into what it is today.
If it had been all rainbows and butterflies for this small crew in North Dakota, they likely would have named their mobile cart something cheerful instead of after a historically terrifying phenomenon caused by lightning. Achieving goals is never easy, and this group set ambitious targets, and stuck to them despite numerous challenges. Through perseverance, humor, and respect for their community, Skyler, Nicole, and Dexter transformed their humble coffee pop-up into a thriving local success. Reflecting on their journey, we can all appreciate how far they’ve come and the playful spirit that continues to drive them forward.
Hear Them Roar – The Cafe Today
From day one, Thunder Coffee has been taking their customers’ experience seriously and proudly offering top-notch service with every cup of coffee. They strive to break down any barriers to specialty coffee that they can. Understanding that coffee menus can be intimidating—especially in a town that might be unfamiliar with café terminology—they make the experience welcoming. Walking into a Thunder Coffee Cafe you can feel the lively atmosphere immediately and it’s mirrored in their menu. The baristas often collaborate on seasonal menu drinks, which can feature anything from nitro or cold foam to house-made marshmallow syrup.
‘Show up on the weekend to grab some pastries and try a pumpkin spice, marshmallow (both syrups made from scratch) maple latte, topped with a little salt, and that combo alone is worth the trip to North Dakota!’ – Skyler
It’s not strictly the drinks and pastries that stand out at Thunder Coffee Cafes. Everyone can be themselves here, including employees. ‘I want you to show up exactly as you are. We hired you, and I want our customers to know who you are,’ Skyler often says to their employees. In fact, the only person with a uniform is Skyler himself, who is always seen in a baseball cap and hooded sweatshirt!
Thunder Coffee is now a certified woman-owned business, with Nicole as the majority owner. As CEO, she handles much of what keeps operations running smoothly. At the roastery, the team has grown and is producing fantastic coffees, with no signs of slowing down. ‘The cool thing about coffee is that there’s something to appreciate from every region,’ Skyler exclaims. He encourages people to branch out and explore different offerings. ‘Seek out smaller local roasters because I think there are a lot of us out there doing really cool things, but we don’t always have the platform to tell everyone what we’re up to.’
Thunder Coffee’s transformation from a small pop-up to a thriving business is a story worth sharing nationwide
They’ve built something special, with a focus on breaking down barriers to great coffee and celebrating the uniqueness of their team and customers. As they continue to grow, both locally and nationally, their core values remain the same: genuine connection, a positive environment, and creative coffee.
Help us get their story out there by sharing this article with friends and family!