SAINT LOUIS, Missouri, USA – Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company of Saint Louis, Missouri, announced on its website it has united with Dancing Goats Coffee. Dancing Goats was founded in 1988 in Olympia, Washington, by Larry and Cherie Challain, with multiple cafes and a roastery in both Washington state and in the greater Atlanta area.
As a family-owned, specialty coffee company since its founding in Saint Louis in 1994, Kaldi’s Coffee has forged many relationships over the decades, including a long friendship with the Challains.
This merger places Dancing Goats Coffee in the safe hands of a fellow coffee family, as Kaldi’s Coffee continues to create memorable coffee experiences for guests, while supporting their communities.
Tricia Zimmer Ferguson, Kaldi’s Coffee co-owner, says that the eight Dancing Goats cafes in Atlanta and Olympia, as well as their Olympia Roastery, will remain under the Dancing Goats brand, while the Atlanta Roastery will begin shipping Kaldi’s Coffee branded bags immediately.
Kaldi’s Coffee Saint Louis Roastery and cafes will remain unchanged. Her brother and co-owner, Tyler Zimmer, adds, “what makes us most excited about this unification is adding more experienced coffee professionals to our team. Dancing Goats Coffee were pioneers, leading the way for many other roasters. We feel very fortunate to carry on their legacy and to build on their years of experience and success.”
With decades of experience and growth in the specialty coffee industry of their own, the Zimmer family remains committed to its longstanding goals of developing team members, engaging in sustainable business practices, and providing industry-leading educational opportunities. Tricia enthuses, “Ultimately, we know that this merger will lead to more opportunities for our team members, and we can’t wait to start exploring those opportunities.”
Throughout the merger, Kaldi’s Coffee remains focused on the type of collaborative and community-minded planning that has long been a hallmark of both companies, with histories of sponsoring US Barista Championship events, hosting city wide barista jams, and bringing people from around the world together over coffee. In the late 2000’s, Kaldi’s Coffee and Dancing Goats even dual-roasted and dual-branded a coffee blend, for sale by both companies, an extremely rare occurrence in the coffee industry.
Tricia reflects, “We were two families with the same dream decades ago, and today we’re proudly one company, united in our shared values and our passion for quality. Together, the combined experience of our coffee professionals equips us to continue Dancing Goats’ pioneering legacy while building a successful future together.”
