DES MOINES, Iowa — Kum & Go is partnering with coffee brand BLK & Bold to elevate customers’ coffee options.
Currently available at 35 Kum & Go locations in Little Rock, Ark., Omaha, Neb., and Des Moines, Iowa, BLK & Bold’s featured roasts are all sustainably grown, small-batch roasted and fair trade certified.
“Kum & Go is committed to providing delicious, flavorful and fresh brews,” said Connie Kelehan, Kum & Go senior category manager. “This partnership emphasizes our shared passion for delivering quality coffee experiences and a positive community impact.”
Kum & Go shares 10% of its profits with charitable causes, and BLK & Bold donates 5% of its profits to support at-risk youth locally and nationally.
- Kum & Go is No. 18 on CSP’s 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by size.
Rod Johnson, Des Moines-based BLK & Bold co-founder and chief marketing officer, said, “We’re excited to partner with Kum & Go as they share our purpose-driven values. We can’t think of a better partner to expand our availability throughout our shared consumer markets, allowing for additional support for our 5% for our youth program.”
With specialty grade roasts like Smoove Operator, a dark Honduras roast, and Rise & GRND, a medium roast from Central America, Kum & Go offers customers brews that complement its fresh perspective on made-to-order food, the company said. This made-to-order food is available at the same locations as BLK & Bold coffee and includes grain bowls, premium meat and vegetables layered on fresh-baked bread, blended smoothies, cold brew frappés and more.
“We’re proud to offer Kum & Go customers top-shelf roasts, so they can enjoy premium brews on the go,” said Pernell Cezar, BLK & Bold CEO and co-founder. “We’re looking forward to complementing their new menu and delighting consumers with our fair-trade specialty brews.”
Family-owned Kum & Go was established in Hampton, Iowa, in 1959. It has more than 400 locations in 11 states.
BLK & Bold co-founders and childhood best friends Pernell Cezar & Jarrhod (Rod) Johnson were raised in less-resourced homes in the same neighborhood. Despite low socioeconomic surroundings, they defied the odds to become college graduates, community servants and leaders. BLK & Bold was born to help everyday coffee consumers increase their social impact footprint domestically via assisting urban youth to defy their odds in pursuit of better futures.
For more on coffee, read CSP’s20 Great Coffee Programs for 2021.
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