About Us

OUR STORY

Crafting exceptional coffee experiences

Quality coffee is only achieved by taking special care along every step of the journey from seed to berry, bean to cup.

Smoking Gun was created out of passion and interest in coffee, and has grown into something completely unexpected. We are committed to telling the story of coffee from around the world by roasting it in a way that allows the coffee to express its unique flavour profile, and differentiate itself from other types of beans and origins. Small batch roasting allows us to ensure quality, freshness, and frequent rotation. 

We are highly passionate about developing community, collaboration and, of course, great coffee.

Roasting Coffee
Front of Smoking Gun Cafe

OUR VISION

Coffee for all

We strive to create meaningful and lasting connections through the time tested power of coffee culture. We accomplish this through an ongoing commitment to inclusive, safe, accepting spaces, excellence and expertise in the products we serve, celebration of our individual and collective identities, collaboration with others, development of our offerings, services and systems, and the relentless pursuit of genuine presence.

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Stó:lō peoples, on whose land we live, work, and play. We further acknowledge the Pelólxw Tribe, on whose unceded land Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters respectfully operates. Through ongoing conversations with local leaders Eddie Gardner (Sqwa First Nation) and Chief Derek Epp (Tzeachten First Nation), we have learned that the very ground Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters exists on is a significant historical gathering site for the various local tribes - a place of coming together, celebration, trade, union, and community. It is our great honour to acknowledge and embrace this beautiful tradition and allow it to guide our intention as a business.

MEET THE FOUNDER

“The best coffee of all is coffee for all.”

Photo of Brandon Litun

I'll never forget the first time I roasted coffee - borrowing my in-laws popcorn popper; dumping in green beans I bought online; watching, listening, smelling, and waiting. My life was changed through this seemingly simple activity. Not because the coffee was spectacular, but because of how dynamic the process is: a full sensory experience, engaging the mind and body, resulting in a little reward to be shared. Truly the fruits of the labor!

One word to describe my experience was "therapy!" It was easy to throw myself recklessly at coffee roasting because it was so life giving, restorative, and, best of all, easy to share with those around me. Roasting coffee put a smile on my face; sharing it with others put a smile on theirs. This cycle was the foundation of Smoking Gun, which began as a side-hustle in my garage, and eventually evolved into the launch of our first commercial roastery in January 2019.

Naturally, the pandemic threw a wrench in our plans, so a new plan was formed - our first café expression: the Curbside Café at Ravens Brewing Company in Abbotsford. Guests would order coffee online, and have it delivered to their car window - a simple yet crucial model for our survival. Momentum grew, and so did the team. From there, we moved the café to Highstreet Mall in Abbotsford for what was intended to be a 4 week pop-up, but resulted in a 6 month residency. During this time, an opportunity was presented for our flagship café/roastery in downtown Chilliwack which launched in September 2021. Now, we operate our full service café 7 days per week in a beautiful new space in District 1881, continue to build our wholesale coffee program with incredible partners around the province, and have the great pleasure of putting smiles on faces everyday!

This has been a very dynamic season of change, but one foundational truth remains the same - coffee puts smiles on our faces; and sharing it with others puts smiles on theirs. As a team, this has become our mantra and mission: crafting exceptional coffee experiences, not just by providing excellent coffee, but through the connections over it. We endeavour to create a low barrier, inclusive, safe space where everyone can engage in the time tested power of coffee: connection - both with each other and ourselves.

I read a quote on a t-shirt a few years ago: "The best coffee of all is coffee for all." We sincerely hope that everyone who engages with Smoking Gun, whether hanging out at our café, grinding coffee at home, or stumbling across our socials is left with a smile on their face. We definitely have one on ours!

Cheers,

Brandon

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