Franchising

Bad Ass Coffee relaunches under new ownership

Provided

June 22, 2020

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii has a new owner — Badass Royal Aloha Coffee Co. — which has opened its first location featuring a ground-up brand rebuild of the coffee franchise. Since purchasing the assets of the franchise company in July 2019, RACC has not only developed a new logo, packaging and in-store design but has also rebuilt the franchisee support system with a new business model and launched pre-packaged branded coffees, Scott Snyder, CEO of Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, said in a company press release.

"There's an enduring love and consumer connection with this brand that has extended far beyond its current locations, and that's very exciting," he said. "We're committed to growing this brand by sharing the warm Hawaiian hospitality and culture of the Aloha Spirit in our stores and by selling American-grown Hawaiian coffees and other premium international blends to coffee lovers everywhere in an environment where you can relax, be yourself and fuel your inner badass."

Marking the national relaunch of Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, RACC opened its flagship store last week in West Jordan, Utah, just outside Salt Lake City. The first of the rebranded stores, it features a Hawaiian store decor that reflects an authentic Hawaiian vibe that is fresh, cool, and full of badass attitude, Snyder said.

After moving its headquarters last year from Utah to Denver, the RACC brand management team began working to build a foundation to reintroduce the brand. Investments in marketing, the franchise business model, new products and reliable franchise operations support were all designed to support the franchisee and increase profitability for the chain. The company plans to relocate its distribution operation to Denver late this summer, according to the release.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii was founded on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1989 and has been franchising on the mainland since 1995. It has 24 locations in the U.S. and Japan

"We take our Hawaiian roots very seriously," said Snyder, who plans to expand the franchise network on the mainland and to reestablish a strong presence in Hawaii "Our brand would not have the following that it does today without a commitment to quality coffees produced by relationships developed with multi-generation Hawaiian Coffee farmers. Their dedication to their craft produces some of the world's finest coffees which we're proud to share at Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii."

The chain is also pursuing multi-channel growth through grocery, hospitality and online sales channels."