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War Coffee. Can you imagine?

Published: 2026-04-08 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/04/08, Thomas Jon, a 17-year-old masseuse in California, runs a small massage parlor on his own and his business is lukewarm. In his spare time, he always wants to change careers and find other ways to make more money, but to no avail. One day in 2000, an American veteran came to Jon's massage parlor for a massage. In the course of the chat, the veteran said

Thomas Jon, a 17-year-old masseuse in California, runs a small massage parlor on his own and his business is lukewarm. In his spare time, he always wants to change careers and find other ways to make more money, but to no avail.

One day in 2000, an American veteran came to Jon's massage parlor for a massage. In the course of chatting, the veteran told many stories about how he used to be stationed in the Middle East, and complained from time to time: "at that time, I was so stressed and tired in the barracks that I couldn't even drink a cup of American coffee."

This sentence inadvertently uttered by the veteran suddenly inspired Jon's transformation: "wouldn't it be more promising to open a coffee shop next to a US military base overseas to earn the money of American soldiers than to open a massage parlor?"

When Jon said the idea, almost everyone thought it was "a good idea, but it can't be put into practice". Because in their view, opening a coffee shop on the battlefield is no joke, and it may be destroyed by a shell fired by the enemy at any time, not to mention how to get the coffee there. Most of the traffic there is inconvenient!

But Jon believes that it is because of these difficulties that it is all the more worthwhile for him to try-he will have no competitors and will win alone. A few months later, with an investment of US $20,000, Green Battlefield Cafe, the world's first battlefield coffee shop, officially launched a trial operation next to a US military barracks in the Middle East.

Responsible for transporting coffee raw materials to battlefield cafes is a retired Cmur130 transport plane rented by Jon, driven by some veterans, which is also an active transport fighter of the US Air Force, with strong air transport and dodging capabilities. After that, it will be picked up by armored vehicles. "Coffee delivers and drivers wear thick bulletproof vests and hard helmets. Many times, there have been many holes in our coffee containers, and hijackers, snipers and suicide bombers will be watching us at any time. "

Fresh, field-ground American coffee was delivered to American soldiers at a reasonable price, and Jon's Green Battlefield Cafe was surprisingly popular. When the US military commander stationed in Central Asia heard the news, they called Jon and warmly invited him to open a "branch library" in Central Asia, and promised that the army would give him some subsidies so that he could earn more. Jon gladly agreed. Soon after, the US military stationed in Okinawa, Japan also invited him to "bring a cup of freshly brewed coffee."

Now, in addition to having regular cafes in some American overseas locations, Jon has opened dozens of Green Mobile Battlefield Cafe-they follow American troops everywhere, wherever they move. "looking at the dirty and tired soldiers who had finished their 12-hour patrol, they came to me for a cup of coffee and then showed me pictures of their children and wives, with the warmth and happiness on their faces. I think it's very necessary to open a battlefield cafe!"

In December 2012, Jon was personally received and praised by US President Barack Obama: "you have done a good thing that makes American troops feel like they are at home. Please don't stop!"

From a cafe with only $20, 000 to now with $33 million in assets and more than 50 cafes, Thomas Jon's adventure is a success!

The riskiest businesses that no one wants to do tend to make the most money.

Source: network

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