Joshua Cook pours cups of air-roasted coffee at the Rockwall Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, and every sale sends money to a nonprofit helping disabled veterans.

Cook, a disabled Army veteran and civilian flight test engineer at L3Harris Technologies in Rockwall, founded Legendary Aviation Coffee in 2019 while living in Palmdale, California. He has since relocated the operation to Rockwall, where he roasts beans on a Loring roaster and has shipped more than 12,000 orders through his online storefront.

Ten percent of every sale goes to a rotating nonprofit supporting veterans and first responders. The current beneficiary is the Texas Valor Project, a Rockwall-based organization that funds brain health treatment for veterans and first responders living with traumatic brain injury and PTSD. That treatment costs $12,000 to $16,000 per person, according to the nonprofit.

Cook told The Rockwall Times he saw the impact firsthand through a friend named Kyle, a disabled veteran who went through the program. "He's been doing well for about three years now, completely free of PTSD episodes and nightmares," Cook said. "Seeing him completely centered and back to being fully present, it's a beautiful thing. That's why I teamed up with them."

Cook sources only beans scoring 85 or higher on the 100-point specialty coffee scale, putting them in what the industry considers the top 1%. His Dominican Republic beans score a 92. Each blend's packaging features a classic military aircraft matched to the bean's flavor profile: the F-117 Nighthawk for the Dominican Republic roast, plus the SR-71 and P-51 Mustang on other blends. He also produces small-batch simple syrups and loose-leaf teas.

A former Army aviation operations specialist (MOS 15P), Cook said his goal isn't building a big company. "I want to make that positive impact," he told The Rockwall Times. "That's why we go to these different events. That's why we want to see and meet new people. We want to be a part of the community."

Neighbors can find Legendary Aviation Coffee at the Rockwall Farmers Market, open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon on the historic downtown square through September. Cook was photographed at the market booth with his father, Jerry Cook, on Saturday, Aug. 8.

The next Rockwall Cars and Coffee meetup is Saturday, Aug. 15, at Cavender Nissan of Rockwall, 1730 I-30 E. That event also benefits the Texas Valor Project. The nonprofit's Boots & Brains Gala is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, at Boyd Farm in Lavon, featuring live music by William Clark Green.