BROOKLYN, NY, USA – Fast Company unveiled today its third annual Brands That Matter list, honoring brands that communicate and demonstrate brand purpose: Nguyen Coffee Supply, America’s first specialty Vietnamese coffee company, is pleased to be recognized amongst this year’s Brands That Matter in the Small Business category.
Selected as one of two brands in this category, Nguyen Coffee Supply has managed to achieve scale and make groundbreaking impact that far outstrip the size of their respective workforces. The brands honored by Fast Company have built cultural relevance and global impact through compelling branding and efforts that naturally extend their presence into the community.
“When I first started the Nguyen Coffee Supply, I faced a lot of resistance towards our work to elevate the robusta coffee species and along with it, the communities behind this bean. In a few short years and our small yet mighty team, it’s incredible to know that we’ve already changed the world. Cheers to Robusta rising!,” said Sahra Nguyen, founder/CEO Nguyen Coffee Supply.
This year’s Brands That Matter recognizes 165 brands that give people compelling reasons to care about them – and offer inspiration for others to buy in. All 165 have found an ability to forge an emotional connection with customers, whether leading on the environment or pop culture, engaging B2B customers or responding meaningfully to current events. Fast Company editors judged each brand on relevancy, cultural impact, ingenuity and business impact. The full list is available online here and will also be featured in the Fall issue of Fast Company magazine.
“The scale and scope of honorees this year is incredible,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “At first glance, there might not be much in common between brands like M&M’s, Dungeons & Dragons and health-tech platform WellTheory, but the thread that binds them is a commitment and purpose as a brand and relevance to their audience, whether that’s through fun, games or healthcare.”
Nguyen Coffee Supply also 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. 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 500 retail doors nationally.
This retail expansion was spearheaded by Nguyen Coffee Supply’s Founder and CEO, Sahra Nguyen, who’s recently earned recognition of her own: 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. All three features spotlighted Nguyen Coffee Supply’s initial entry to Whole Foods Market.
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.
In addition to being a relatively unknown but delicious brew, robusta’s farming practices are more sustainable and utilize fewer pesticides. Its beans, higher in caffeine content, are lower in fats and sugars. 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.”
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.
