“Caffeine-filled mischief” is more than just the slogan for Hooligans Coffeehouse — it's a way of life for co-owners and childhood friends Brinton Colburn and Logan Antelman, a lifestyle they’ve embraced since middle school.
Years before opening Hooligans, Colburn and Antelman were typical ’90s kids living in Gilbert, getting into harmless trouble.
“I grew up on a farm and I built a huge skatepark there,” Antelman says. “We had bonfires, friends would come over, party out on the skate ramp. It was that kind of mischief.”
Now, Colburn and Antelman, alongside their third business partner and fellow coffee enthusiast, Adam Holliefield, are building community through their new coffee shop in Mesa. They opened Hooligans Coffeehouse in December 2024.
The coffeehouse is located near Revel Surf, a new outdoor surf park and a soon-to-open indoor skatepark. Opening a business near two of their lifelong passions, surfing and skating, is a full-circle moment for the childhood friends.“The surf park is a huge part of it. That’s what we wanted to be part of,” Antelman says. “I lived in Hawaii for a short stint and fell in love with surfing."
Hooligans serves coffee and pastries and has become known for its honey cinnamon latte. Since opening late last year, the coffee shop has also become a local hub where community members cross paths. Regular events such as latte art competitions and monthly motorcycle meetups help foster that sense of connection.
“Hooligan Coffee is meant to be a community. It's meant to be a place where individuals can come, gather, feel a part of something, be excited to be here and to grow and learn and experience whatever it has,” Colburn says.
The drink menu features a range of classic coffee options, including espressos, drip coffee and cappuccinos. However, the coffeehouse truly stands out with its specialty drinks, like the Berries and Cream, featuring a smooth raspberry cold foam, and Grandma’s Garden, a lavender and caramel latte that can be served hot or iced.
Not in the mood for coffee? Hooligans Coffeehouse also offers a variety of matcha, teas, chai lattes and lemonades,
"Specialty coffee can be intimidating to the consumer and I'm grateful for our team, as well as the teams at other shops who take the time to explain,” Colburn says.
“It's not like it was some random gimmicky slogan. He knows us. He knows Logan. He knows our kids. We've spent a lot of quality time with them, and he just nailed it perfectly,” Colburn says.
Just over four months in, Colburn, Antelman and Holliefield are focused on putting down roots. The drinks are made with syrups and beans from Presta Coffee, a Tucson-based roaster that was recently named one of the top 100 coffee shops in the world. But for the Hooligans owners, creating a welcoming space matters just as much as what’s in the cup.
“We are enjoying the ride because it's going even better than we would have thought,” Antelman says. “So we kind of got to ride that wave too for a little while and just kind of enjoy what we've built.”
