Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii opened in 1989 with the aim of “sharing American-grown, premium Hawaiian coffee from Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Moloka‘i, Kona, and Ka’u with coffee lovers everywhere.” in 1995, big-time Bad Ass fan B.J. Bilanzich purchased the playful company and began franchising on the mainland. Today, the donkey-adorned chain has 24 stores in the U.S., US Virgin Islands, and Japan.
The two incoming Colorado Springs Bad Ass Coffee locations will open at 4810 Old Farm Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80917, and the Shoppes at Woodmen Heights in the first or second quarter of 2023, according to the company’s SVP of Marketing, Chris Ruszkowski.
The forthcoming locations’ franchise owner, Lee Wilwerding, also owns the already-operating Bad Ass Coffee store in Peyton, CO. Ruszkowski told What Now Denver the company has exciting plans to continue expanding throughout Colorado. Here’s what else he had to say:
WND: Why Colorado Springs?
Ruszkowski: While we started in Hawaii, we’re headquartered in Denver. Not only do we know the potential for growth in Colorado, but it’s also kind of a natural area for us to have an interest in. Hawaii is big on tourism just as Colorado is. We were looking for a community that would welcome us with the kind of aloha spirit we represent. That said, we’re excited to have a franchise owner that wants to grow our brand in Colorado Springs.
WND: What can customers expect from Bad Ass Coffee?
Ruszkowski: We have a lot of fun, not only with our beverage options that are influenced by the islands but with our breakfast too. Our Aloha sandwich includes ham, pineapple, and BBQ sauce while our Bad Ass sandwich uses Spam.
WND: Aside from ingredients, how does Hawaii continue to influence Bad Ass Coffee?
Ruszkowski: If you’ve been to Hawaii, you can’t wait to go back, right? If you haven’t been there, it’s always on peoples’ bucket lists. We’ll bring a little bit of that to Colorado; we’ll bring a welcoming sense of ohana, or family. Community is so important and it’s part of our purpose.
WND: Anything else?
Ruszkowski: Under what we call the “Bad Ass For Good” umbrella, we allow our franchise owners to bring charitable actions to their communities, so Colorado Springs can also look forward to that.
