Washington D.C.’s independent coffee shop community is brewing dissidence. And it’s rather delicious.
 
In an effort to reign in the corporate reach of America and educate fellow coffee connoisseurs, a group of six independent coffee shops in Washington DC have banded together and established The Disloyalty Program. Get The D.C. Disloyal card punched at six independent coffee shops across the city and get a free cup at the end – from whichever establishment you choose. A great way to try new brews, learn about new beans and meet awesome coffee professionals, the Disloyal Program makes the most of a free market economy.
 
DC Disloyal Founder (and Peregrin Espresso barista) Dawn Shanks says, “I hope the card is a fun way for DC coffee lovers to sort of explore different shops and engage with the people making coffee.”
 
As conscious consumerism continues to make serious waves in the United States, more and more people are re-discovering the importance and power of independent artisans and local maker communities. Programs like Disloyal are redrafting our everyday loyalties and redefining the quality of consumer goods. Join me in bidding adieu to stale coffee, faceless corporations and poor labor practices.

Participating coffee shops include: The Blind Dog, The Coffee Bar, Peregrin Espresso, Chinatown Coffee Co, Filter and La Mano.
 
Beth Lauck
 
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Beth Lauck contributes posts about emerging and disruptive design and communications trends, and helps forecast why and how these changes will affect market intelligence. She also maintains a blog devoted to the intersections between fashion, future studies and trend science. She completed an internship with Trend Union in 2012 as the Assistant Editor and Community Manager of Trend Tablet, and considers her experiences with the Trend Union team an invaluable addition to her work as a trend forecaster and fashion theorist. 
 
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