About Us

Building Michigan’s Coffee Company

The Doghouse Coffee is a family-owned Michigan coffee roaster built around great coffee, strong communities, and dogs that deserve a second chance.

We roast every batch in-house at our downtown Lapeer roastery and serve our coffee through our shops in Lapeer and Metamora, our online store, and a growing network of wholesale partners.

Our goal is simple, even if it is not small: build a coffee company Michigan can be proud to call its own.

Michigan’s Coffee. Michigan’s Dogs.

Coffee Comes First

Our mission may help dogs, but it only works if the coffee is good enough to bring people back.

We source quality coffees from around the world, roast them in small batches in Lapeer, and move them quickly from our roaster to your cup. Whether you visit one of our shops, order online, or serve Doghouse Coffee at your business, you receive coffee roasted with care and shipped fresh.

We believe great coffee and a meaningful purpose should strengthen each other not compete for attention.

Coffee That Helps Michigan Dogs

Dogs have always been at the heart of The Doghouse Coffee.

Through our Rescue Roast program, we partner with a different Michigan rescue organization or no-kill shelter each month and donate $5 from every bag sold directly to that organization.

Every partner becomes part of the growing Rescue Roast Trail as we work to connect coffee lovers with the people saving dogs across Michigan.

Meet The Owners

Don Wingard

Don is a retired U.S. Navy officer who served for 30 years on active duty before turning his attention to coffee. After helping operate a successful coffee company in Virginia, he brought that experience to Michigan and co-founded The Doghouse Coffee in 2022.

Today, Don leads roasting, product development, wholesale growth, and the long-term vision of building Michigan’s Coffee Company.

Ulyana Wingard

Originally from L’viv, Ukraine, Ulyana moved to the United States in the late 2000s and later became a proud U.S. citizen.

Her background includes property development, hospitality, and founding a successful brewery in Virginia. At The Doghouse Coffee, her business experience, judgment, and commitment to the community continue to shape the company’s growth.

Together, Don and Ulyana are building a Michigan company centered on better coffee, meaningful local partnerships, and support for dogs in need.

The Dogs Behind The Doghouse

In 2020, Don and Ulyana adopted Piper, a pit bull who had been found as a stray in Hampton, Virginia.

She arrived as a timid, 18-pound hairless puppy and quickly grew into a 50-pound fur missile and the inspiration behind The Doghouse Coffee’s mission.

Piper now serves as Chief Morale Officer, coffee-label celebrity, and occasional destroyer of personal space.

She is joined by her sister Phoebe, a Goldendoodle who brings her own brand of chaos to the family.

Their story is a daily reminder of what can happen when a dog is given safety, care, and a second chance.

The Road Ahead

The Doghouse Coffee began in 2022, but we are still at the beginning of the story.

We are growing our coffee shops, expanding our wholesale partnerships, building the Rescue Roast Trail, and working to put fresh Michigan-roasted coffee into more homes and businesses across the state.

Building Michigan’s Coffee Company one cup, one community, and one rescued dog at a time.