Dr. James David Dart, a dentist, and Erika Carter Dart, an artist, founded Dart Coffee Co. in November 2018 in the Funk Zone arts district of Santa Barbara, California. The roastery runs a Diedrich IR 5 and is committed to sourcing only organic, fair traded coffee beans from small lot indigenous farmers. A percentage of every bean sold supports the Yanonali Street Artist Fund, helping sustain artist studios in Santa Barbara's creative districts. Dart has since expanded beyond the Funk Zone to locations in Santa Barbara Harbor, Carpinteria, and Summerland, with a roasting philosophy built around medium profiles that avoid excessively dark or oily results.