08/05/2026
Did you know?
50 million people are living in modern slavery today, up 10 million since 2018 - more than at any point in human history. And the US imports more goods made at risk of forced labor than any country on Earth: $170 billion worth, every year.
Slavery wasn’t abolished - it was outsourced. It arrives in this country everyday through the things we buy and nobody is telling you about it. Coffee and chocolate are some of the most impacted industries.
We didn’t come to Milford to open a café. We came to interview survivors of Chinese labor camps for a museum exhibit. One man we met had spent years polishing rhinestones with noxious chemicals, 20 hours a day, without pay - for advocating democracy. Rhinestones. For our fashion industry.
When Covid halted those plans, we asked a different question: could a business stock its shelves without any of it? So we tested it - two stores and a café, sourced almost entirely without goods from countries where people aren’t free.
It worked. And every purchase you’ve made here is the evidence the world can work this way. Five years in, look what we’ve grown into - and we’re only getting started.
Which brings us to what’s next. Liam has spent the last few years writing it all down - the investigations, the supply chains, what we found and how anyone can act on it. “I Don’t Buy It” will be out as soon as we find the right publisher, and this store is where the research was lived.
There’s a new piece on every table telling more of the story. You’ll see it next time you sit down to enjoy your coffee.
So we want to take a moment to say thank you for choosing us, and for proving the world still has a heart. Every time you drink here makes a difference and we couldn’t be more grateful ☕️
