Brother Joe's

Brother Joe's Coffee

Our story

How three students and one class turned an idea into the coffee shop inside Saint Patrick High School.

The three founders on stage in front of a slide with their names
The founders, on stage

Our story

Student-run from the start

Brother Joe's was founded in 2024 by Rocco Moroko, Matthew Hearn and Tommy Stanton as part of Saint Pat's IncubatorEDU program. The business is entirely student-run, with students handling everything from managing invoices to pouring each cup.

It's a team effort across the whole school community: our coffee beans are supplied by alumni, our stickers are designed by the art department, and our cups are provided through the lunch program.

  • Rocco Moroko
  • Matthew Hearn
  • Tommy Stanton

Timeline

How we got here

  1. August 2024

    One class, three students

    The idea started in the school's IncubatorEDU program. The team originally called the project Chicago Cups, but it was later changed due to interference with a small minor league team.

    The IncubatorEDU classroom at Saint Patrick High School
    The IncubatorEDU room · August 2024
  2. December 2024

    Suppliers & demand

    The team began market research, visiting other schools like Rolling Meadows to see how they operate. They landed on a coffee bean supplier after touring the roasting factory where the beans are made.

    Coffee beans pouring out of a roaster during our visit to a coffee roaster
    At the roaster · December 2024
  3. April 2025

    The pitch

    After a night of many pitches, Brother Joe's took home the money that would eventually become a set of coffee machines, an iPad and a ton of syrup.

    The founders holding a $1,500 check from Saint Patrick High School made out to Brother Joe's
    Check day · April 2025
  4. January 2026

    Doors open

    Brother Joe's opened its doors at the bar in the atrium. It was a true team effort across the school: the cups and disposables came from the Lunch Program, the stickers were made by the art department, and the beans were even supplied by alumni.

    Two students holding Brother Joe's cups in the school halls
    Cups in hand between classes · January 2026
  5. April 2026

    First drive-thru

    The shop expanded out to the Belmont parking lot to serve customers a Chick-fil-A style drive-thru experience, all to raise money for two first-responder families.

    The Brother Joe's crew with Chicago Fire Department members in the school atrium
    With the Chicago Fire Department · April 2026
  6. September 2026

    The app is here

    Most orders now come through the full-scale iOS ordering app, complete with Bean Rewards and scheduled pickup.

    The Brother Joe's app on an iPhone, shown at an angle
    The app, on iPhone · September 2026