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ty in a number of ways, includ-
ing hosting community events
in their cafes, raising over $1.2
million for the National MS So-
ciety, supporting the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation,
donating scholarships to local
universities, and much more.
“I think we do something like
60 events a year,” Brett says.
“That’s over one a week. For a
company our size, that’s pretty
considerable. The vast majori-
ty of our marketing budget just
goes to events – not our events,
community
events.
That’s
helped us build some really
strong relationships with the
people in our communities.”
Kaldi’s Coffee has also demon-
strated a strong commitment
to the environment. They recy-
cle coffee grounds, plastic cups,
and many to-go items, and they
build with recycled materials. In
addition, they were one of the
first business leaders to enrol in
Ameren Missouri’s Pure Power
program – which matches elec-
tricity usage with clean, renew-
able energy generated from
wind farms in the Midwest.
Furthermore, the company’s
purchasing decisions are driv-
en by their commitment to
social and environmental re-
sponsibility. They go even far-
ther than Fair Trade Certified in
ensuring their coffee is grown
in a sustainable way. They are
committed to only working with
farmers and importers whose
agricultural practices preserve
the soil and protect the ecosys-
tem. They form clear, honest,
and mutually beneficial rela-
tionships with those partners,
and they work with them to im-
prove the lives of the farmers
they work.
According to Brett, the compa-
ny does all the above because
they believe it’s the right thing
to do – but they also believe it
makes their coffee taste better.
“Our philosophy is simple,”
he says. “We believe premi-
um-priced coffees should taste
premium. We select with our
palates, ensure that our farmer
friends are rewarded for their
efforts, and that the coffee is
grown in a sustainable, ecologi-
cally sound manner.”
BUSINESS WORLD MAGAZINE