of creating a shopping experience that not only highlights 
amazing products, but also where they come from, how 
they are made, and the story of those who make them. 
They started small with just a handful of veteran-owned 
companies, however, through networking, referrals and 
word of mouth their product line grew rapidly, and the store 
officially opened for business on April 8, 2018. 

Zane moved to the Emerald Coast in 2007 for the military and 

loves how the area has a small town feel with the amenities of a big 
city. He couldn’t imagine a better place to have a store featuring 
these great products. The biggest challenge they’ve encountered 
thus far is trying to predict which products shoppers are going 
to be drawn to. Partnering closely with their vendors has allowed 
them to mitigate this challenge and form a personal connection to 
the companies they carry. They become so much more than just a 
product; each item has a special story. “I think the fact that we put 
so much effort into choosing our vendors, getting to know them, 
and our ability to tell the story of every product on the shelf ties 
into our customer service,” said Zane. “We just have ourselves 
and a couple of great employees, all with military ties, so we all 
know the products extremely well and know several of the vendors 
personally. We carry high quality products and we pride ourselves 
on providing the best customer service. That’s how we hope to 
compete with online stores.” 

The journey towards building the product line at Beyond 214 

has led them down some unexpected paths they never dreamed 

possible. They now have their own Beyond 214 coffee line and 
went to Nicaragua this past January to visit the farms where their 
coffee beans are sourced. The coffee farmers and cooperatives 
they partner with live in very poor conditions, therefore, Beyond 
214 can help open new doors for them. Their growers also roast 
and package the coffee, cutting out the middleman and allowing 
for the farmers to keep up to 4 times as much profit compared to 
traditional coffee export methods. Not to mention, the coffee is 
delicious.

Zane and Mindy never planned on carrying a leather line, but 

while in Nicaragua they met the phenomenal woman behind 
Kuero, who takes in homeless people and teaches them skills of life 
and how to do leather work. They knew they had to get involved 
so they partnered with her to develop a 

Kuero & Beyond line 

featuring military compliant handbags, along with several other 
fashionable items for men and women. Additionally, through 
their travels they became connected with the jewelry line 

Fair 

Anita, and eventually International Sanctuary Purpose Jewelry and 
Starfish Project Jewelry which is currently offered in the store. 
These companies work with abused and battered women as well as 
women who have been victims of sex trafficking. Zane described, 
“It’s been super motivating to be able to have a direct impact 
on people’s lives. We know exactly where the money from our 
coffee, leather products, and jewelry is going. Many of our veteran 
partners also give back to a variety of veteran charities. Not only is 
it great to provide a unique store for locals, but the fact that many 
of our product lines are giving back to people who need it is pretty 
special.” Beyond 214 hand curates their product line and they 
choose each item for a reason. Next time you are out shopping 
for yourself or looking for a unique gift for someone you love, 
consider “Shopping With A Mission” at Beyond 214.

Beyond 214 is located at

34940 Emerald Coast Pkwy, #184 

in the Best Buy Shopping Center, behind Cracker Barrel

.

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