A coffee franchise that takes its name from the donkeys of Hawaii’s Kona Coast, has its sights set on national expansion after new ownership rebuilt the brand.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, its namesake being the donkeys which would bray as they carried loads of coffee beans down the steep volcanic mountains and whose strong but stubborn nature led to people calling them the “Bad Ass Ones,” is ready to make noise of its own under owner Royal Aloha Coffee Company. CEO Scott Snyder, who put together a group of private investors to purchase the assets in July 2019, said a new logo, packaging and in-store design, plus a reboot of operations and franchisee support, is attracting operators.
“What we inherited was amazing brand recognition … and a really great coffee,” said Snyder of the purchase from franchisor Bad Ass Coffee Company of Hawaii. “What they didn’t have was really a lot of infrastructure to grow a brand regionally or…
