Kum & Go Expands Specialty Coffee Offering
DES MOINES, Iowa — Kum & Go LC is growing its partnership with BLK & Bold and rolling out the specialty coffee to more than 300 convenience stores.
With the companywide rollout, Kum & Go's in-store whole bean-to-cup machines will distribute hot coffee that will feature BLK & Bold's Rise & GRND and Smoove Operator blends. The expansion follows an initial launch of BLK & Bold in select c-stores in January.
BLK & Bold is the first Black owned nationally distributed coffee company dedicated to bringing accessibility and quality to consumers. Since inception, the brand has donated 5 percent of proceeds to its social impact initiative "For Our Youth," which helps nonprofit organizations support children in underserved communities across the country.
Kum & Go is a family-owned company providing a fresh perspective to convenience by bringing customers the choices they deserve, and a quality typically not met in the convenience industry. Both Des Moines-based companies uphold the values of community support, engagement and experience, according to the companies.
"This partnership creates an opportunity to share the quality of our coffee, bring an experience to our consumers and positively impact more communities," said Pernell Cezar, CEO of BLK & Bold. "We are able to become part of people's day in a new way by widening the accessibility of specialty grade coffee to over 300 convenience stores for a premium on-the-go experience."
Blk & Bold sources Fair Trade and direct trade 100 percent Arabica coffee from Ethiopia, Central and South America. The process is monitored and roasted in Des Moines by experts and utilizes precise formulas to emphasize natural flavors notes from blueberries to caramel in their wide range of assortments.
"Kum & Go's national partnership with BLK & Bold is the latest in our journey to bring a fresh perspective to the convenience space. BLK & Bold's coffee is as fine a cup as you will find in our industry. Combining quality with the philanthropic values of the brand is a key reason why their company is growing rapidly and why they are an obvious fit with Kum & Go's values," said Tanner Krause, CEO of Kum & Go.
Kum & Go continues to expand its footprint and partnerships through a myriad of initiatives. The retailer recently entered two new markets, Salt Lake City and Grand Rapids, Mich., while proactively expanding its new made-to-order food program, which offers fresh meals for customers to order on the spot in more than 100 stores.
[Read more: Maverik Inks Deal to Acquire Kum & Go]
Established in Hampton, Iowa, in 1959, Kum & Go employs more than 5,000 associates and currently operates 400-plus convenience stores across 13 states. For more than 60 years, the company has been dedicated to sharing 10 percent of all profits back to the communities it serves.