BadAss coffee shop opens in Seaside CA

Congratulations Ashley, Beth and Bill

Kona coffee with a Bad Ass flare
Shop opens Saturday in Seaside
By MARIE VASARI Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 10/12/2007 01:47:43 AM PDT

"I love the edginess of Bad Ass. It's the anti-Starbucks," says Ashley... (ORVILLE MYERS/The Herald)

As names go, it's brasher than most.
But it's named — so the story goes — for a herd of famously stubborn, flop-eared creatures that used to haul Kona coffee through rugged Hawaiian terrain.
Bad Ass Coffee, a company with roots entrenched in Hawaii, is coming to Seaside.
The franchise, which opens its first Monterey County location Saturday, evolved from the Royal Aloha Coffee, Tea & Spice Co., founded in 1989, said Connie Alexakos, vice president of marketing and product development for Bad Ass Coffee.
Since that first store opened, in what she describes as "a very small town in the heart of coffee country," Bad Ass Coffee has grown at an aggressive pace: As of mid-September, the brand had 63 franchise-owned stores either open, under contract or in the process of being built, from Florida to Alaska, Japan to Canada. Six stores have opened in California, including one in Santa Cruz, and locations are in the works for Pasadena and San Diego.
While Kona is the heart of the company's culture, Salt Lake City, where the company is based, has proved more conducive to building a franchise empire.
Pacific Grove resident and franchisee Ashley Hewitt discovered Bad Ass Coffee during a summer in Hawaii. Hewitt, 24, said she fell in love with both the coffee and the concept.
"I love the edginess of Bad Ass," she said. "It's the anti-Starbucks."
While every store is designed with a Hawaiian feel, each is unique, from the sculpted 3-D neon waves
in Medford, Ore., to a 25-foot "Lost Jungle" theme of hand-carved tikis in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and a glowing volcano in Houston. Hewitt's 1,500-square-foot store will feature plenty of neon and what she calls "a surfer vibe."
The 2005 liberal arts graduate from Colorado State University is teaming up with her mom and stepfather, Beth Hopkins and Bill Rule, who are silent partners in the venture. But Hewitt holds title of president and CEO of ABB Coffee Inc., which has franchise rights to the Monterey Bay area and could potentially open more locations in the future.
And while coffee is the company's bragging right, it's not shy about capitalizing on its name, selling signature merchandise, such as Bad Ass shirts, cigars golf balls and underwear.
Alexakos admits there is plenty of competition in the coffeehouse market these days.
"We know who the big boys are, and we know they've really done a great job," she said. "Starbucks and Pete's have really taught the consumer what to look for."
What makes Bad Ass unique, she said, is its emphasis on Kona coffee and Kona blends. The American-grown coffee has a flavor she describes as mild, mellow and nutty, distinct from the more acidic blends to which most Americans are accustomed. The stores also sell smoothies, teas and lattes, including a coconut version, set against a backdrop of waterfalls, sand and Hawaiian music.
"So it's a little short vacation every day when you have a cup of coffee, which is pretty wonderful," said Alexakos. "We really wanted people to get the feeling that they just stepped off a boat or a plane and stepped into a Kona alleyway."

If you go ·What:Bad Ass Coffee ·When:6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily ·Where:1130 Fremont St., Seaside CA (in Laguna Plaza Shopping Center)
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