Cole Hauser Launches New Free Rein Coffee Product That He Hopes Will ‘Kick Some Ass’ in the Beverage Space (Exclusive)
Cole Hauser Launches New Free Rein Coffee Product That He Hopes Will ‘Kick Some Ass’ in the Beverage Space (Exclusive)
Deirdre DurkanWed, July 29, 2026 at 8:41 PM UTC
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Credit: Free Rein -
Cole Hauser tells PEOPLE Free Reign’s new Protein Coffee Collection is designed to help fuel hardworking Americans without adding extra steps to their morning routines
The Dutton Ranch star says he hopes the new protein coffee will “kick some ass in the marketplace” as the brand expands into Walmart stores nationwide
Hauser also opens up about building Free Reign from the ground up, calling it his first business venture and a “dream come true”
Cole Hauser is taking the next step in growing his coffee company.
The Dutton Ranch star’s brand, Free Reign Coffee, is expanding into the protein coffee category with the launch of its new Protein Coffee Collection, which includes K-Cup-compatible coffee pods and ready-to-drink cold brew beverages. The launch also marks the company’s biggest retail expansion yet, with Free Reign’s core coffee lineup and new protein products arriving in Walmart stores nationwide.
For Hauser, the new offering is a natural extension of both his coffee habit and the company’s mission.
“I’m a little old school. I still like my black coffee,” Hauser, 51, tells PEOPLE. “But this is an exciting new piece to Free Reign that our team has put together. It’s kind of [Free Rein Coffee Company CEO] Arlyn [Davich]’s baby, her creation. I’ve been working, as you know, for the last nine months, so they’ve done a wonderful job of putting together a delicious protein coffee mix that we’d hope will kick some ass in the marketplace.”
Cole HauserCredit: Free Rein
Davich says the company developed the new product after listening to customer feedback.
“We have hundreds of thousands of customers who we serve through our DTC site and social. We talk to them regularly and regularly solicit their feedback, and over 70% of them told us that they’re trying to get more protein in their everyday routine,” Davich tells PEOPLE.
“We already know they’re drinking coffee at least once a day, so what we tried to do was figure out how to add that protein into their daily routine without them having to add extra steps, because these are people keeping this country running, right? They don’t have time to froth their milk.”
The new collection includes protein coffee pods with 10 grams of protein per serving and ready-to-drink cold brew cans featuring 20 grams of protein, both designed to fit into busy mornings.
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According to Hauser, the launch also reflects the values that have guided Free Reign since the beginning.
“We started this company in San Angelo years ago and have really built it to a place where it’s starting to get some traction—not only with blue-collar Americans, but middle America. It’s growing out kind of like Yellowstone did.”
“I think, along with my partners and Arlyn, the CEO of the company, we’ve all really put in the work to make sure that we build something that has real consistency of character.”
Hauser says the protein launch has been years in the making.
“This is really a cool step in something that Arlyn and Tim have told me time and time again: ‘Listen, we need to get ahead of this. This is going to be something that’s very special in the marketplace in the next year or so.’”
“When it comes to my part in it, my part sometimes is to tell people, ‘Go f---ing follow your dreams.’ That’s what this company’s about.”
Free Rein coffee pods, which are compatible with most Keurig K-Cup systemsCredit: Free Rein
Davich says Hauser has consistently pushed the team to prioritize quality over convenience.
“Cole always says: there’s the easy way, and then there’s the right way. A lot of times, the right way is the hard way,” he says.
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“Getting this K-Cup to work was not an easy thing, but Cole’s been pushing us from the beginning: let’s not be afraid of the hard. Let’s do what’s right for the customer. That’s why I’m particularly proud of those pods.”
Since launching the company, Hauser says one of the most rewarding aspects has been building a business centered on serving teachers, nurses, veterans, first responders , and members of the military.
“I created the brand. This is the first business I’ve ever been a part of from the ground up, so I’ve learned a lot, as you can imagine.”
“One thing that I’m very big on—and I said this earlier—is consistency of character. Not just me—that means the company. What I’ve been preaching to anybody who’s a part of this company is that we’re going to be really steadfast in what we’re doing out there in the marketplace.”
“We’re going to create a presence and make sure that we, as a company, continue to help people when it comes to teachers, nurses, yes, but also first responders and the military.”
“There’s going to be no tomfoolery. We are what we are, and we don’t need to do anything tricky, funny, weird, or [to] do some Instagram stuff that makes us look a bit childish.”
“We can be adults and actually really be cool and be smart about how we do it, but be simple, and make sure that we take care of the people who are taking care of us. That has been the mission statement from the first day, and it’ll be the mission statement to the very last day of this company.”
Cole Hauser and his wife Cynthia DanielCredit: Cynthia Daniel Instagram
For Hauser, who says he and his wife were already avid coffee drinkers before launching the business, building Free Reign has been a dream realized.
“My wife and I drank a lot of coffee before we started Free Reign, so it was a very easy lateral step, I guess, into a company that I love so much when it comes to the actual drink itself.”
“When Karl approached me—Karl Pfluger is one of my partners, along with Paul Anderson—and they said, ‘Hey, would you be interested?’ I was like, ‘I’ve been thinking about this, and I can’t believe you guys are bringing this to me. Absolutely, let’s do it.’”
“It was a dream come true.”
“What’s even more rewarding—and I’ve talked to Arlyn about this a lot—is that I get to call her or email her or text her and say, ‘Send me more of my coffee.’”
“I love that we continue to out-create ourselves with the different brands, whether it’s Texas Pecan or Choconela. We’re constantly trying new things, really pushing the envelope and taking calculated risks, while also putting what I think are great beans into the market.”
Although Hauser says he remains “a little old school” and prefers his coffee black, his wife has embraced the company’s latest innovation.
“She’s tried the protein coffee. She likes it a lot. She’s a big fan of protein coffee,” he says.
“But she’s a Branded girl, and she loves it with a little bit of half-and-half. That’s all she drinks.”
The Free Reign Protein Coffee Collection is available now at FreeReignCoffee.com, Walmart stores nationwide, and Walmart.com.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
