DID YOU KNOW?
Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters
- One of the most well-regarded specialty coffee companies in America
- Size: 100+ employees (60 of those in Thurston County); 500+ wholesale accounts
- Key players: Dave Wasson, President/COO, Board Director; Larry Challain, CEO, Treasurer and Chairman of the Board; Cherie Challain, Executive Vice President, Board Secretary
- Locations:
- Five in Thurston County; two of those licensed Dancing Goats stores
- Four in the Greater Atlanta area; another opening first quarter 2018
- Beans: Majority from Latin America where B&B’s relationships direct to the farm have lasted several decades
Timeline:
1986 – Dick Batdorf & Shannon Bronson open Olympia’s first specialty coffee roaster, Batdorf & Bronson.
1988 – Larry & Cherie Challain open Dancing Goats Espresso Company, featuring B&B coffee.
1990 – Challains purchase Batdorf & Bronson.
1994 – B&B opens second roasting facility opens in Atlanta, Ga. in order to guarantee freshness.
2000 – B&B becomes the first green-powered coffee roaster in America; since then, they have won many awards for significant sustainability efforts.
2007 – First stand-alone retail coffee bar in the Atlanta area is opened.
On the horizon: Continually looking for opportunities to expand
“Having been a leader in specialty coffee for 30+ years we look forward moving into this next phase of coffee as a leader in the industry who can share what we’ve learned with both our customers and the broader coffee world,” Dave Wasson, President/COO