BROOKLYN, N.Y., USA – Nguyen Coffee Supply, America’s first specialty Vietnamese coffee company, has appointed industry veteran Michael Buck Williams as National Sales Director. The trailblazing coffee company recently doubled its retail footprint and became the first Vietnamese coffee RTD brand to receive national distribution from Whole Foods Market.
Williams joins the company at a crucial growth juncture as the brand enters the next phase of retail expansion in 2024.
Nguyen Coffee Supply is leading the way and ushering in the next wave of coffee culture rooted in uplifting the robusta coffee species and historically marginalized coffee communities around the world. Importing directly from the source and roasting in Brooklyn, New York, Nguyen Coffee Supply’s mission is to transform the coffee industry through diversity, sustainability and cultural integrity.
Founded in 2018 by 1st generation entrepreneur-activist Sahra Nguyen, the company’s mission is to elevate robusta coffee (the dominant coffee bean grown in Vietnam), while building a diverse and inclusive coffee culture for all.
“As a resourceful startup, we’ve proudly punched above our weight over the last few years,” said Sahra Nguyen, founder/CEO Nguyen Coffee Supply. “Now, we’re thrilled to welcome industry legend ‘Buck Williams’ to lead the next stage of retail expansion and make Nguyen Coffee Supply a household brand.”
Michael Buck Williams is a food and beverage industry veteran with over 18 years’ experience. An impact player at food and beverage startups including Vitamwater, Smartwater, and Zico Coconut Water, Williams has guided sales teams and strategy, while executing and delivering results on the way to strategic exit. Williams most recently was the Senior Director of Sales at Richard’s Rainwater where the brand grew 12X through retail, specialty coffee and on premise channels.
At ZICO, Williams started on a team of 8 and was 1 of 2 National Sales Managers. Reporting direct to founder Mark Rampolla (until the company was acquired by the Coca Cola Company), Williams was a key contributor in growing the sales distribution from a few regional accounts to national distribution including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Kroger, Publix, Walgreens, CVS, 7 Eleven, and Costco.
“When the opportunity came to join the team I knew it would be a grind, all startups are,” said Michael Buck Williams, National Sales Director, Nguyen Coffee Supply. “I quickly learned that I was not grinding to create momentum, but grinding to keep up with it!”
Nguyen Coffee Supply recently announced product expansion to every state with Whole Foods Market, officially becoming the first Vietnamese coffee Ready to Drink (RTD) brand to go national with the retailer–a landmark moment for Vietnamese coffee in America. Nguyen Coffee Supply doubled its retail footprint, proudly championing the resilient robusta bean and leading the new narrative about Vietnamese coffee in America.
The three award-winning RTD flavors, Classic Black, Condensed Milk, and Coconut have been acclaimed by various publications; Food & Wine named the Coconut Cold Brew RTD the “Best Alternative Milk Latte,” the Classic Black received BevNet’s Best of 2022 Award for Best New Product, and the Condensed Milk was a New Hope’s NEXTY Award Finalist for Best New Beverage 2023. Nguyen Coffee Supply ready-to-drink cold brews are now available in over 1,000 retail doors nationally.
Earlier this year, Nguyen Coffee Supply was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal with a watershed moment defining headline, “The Underdog Coffee Bean that Java Snobs Hate is Finally Getting Some Respect.” The company was also named a Fast Company Brands That Matter this Fall. Nguyen Coffee Supply’s Founder and CEO, Sahra Nguyen, graced the cover of INC. Magazine earlier this year alongside Eva Longoria and Lena Waithe, recognized on INC.’s prestigious “Female Founders 200” list. Additionally, she was named an “Emerging Leader” in diversity and inclusion by Crain’s New York and landed a full page in USA Today’s “Race in America” special edition issue.
Nguyen Coffee Supply ships to customers in all 50 states and internationally to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, U.K. and is available in restaurants and cafés in New York City, Washington D.C., Seattle, Kansas City and more. It is also sold in Whole Foods Market, FreshDirect, Gorillas, Weee! and more. Nguyen Coffee Supply can be enjoyed in a wide array of styles including the traditional cà phê s?a dá (Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk and ice) as well as the pour over, Chemex, French press, drip, espresso and as a canned ready to drink cold brew.
