PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Sept. 1, 2014 – La Colombe Torrefaction, the Philadelphia, PA-based coffee roaster and café operator, known for its direct-trade, earth-conscious blends and unique, farm-direct, single origin coffees, has announced a strategic partnership with Goode Partners, a New York, NY-based private equity firm focused on investing in growth brands in the consumer and retail industry.
“Something is happening here in Port Richmond,” said co-founder Todd Carmichael, from La Colombe’s headquarters and roasting facility outside Philadelphia. “In this, our 20th anniversary, we’ve announced the opening of our “opus,” a 15,000 square foot café in Fishtown; the launch of a full distillery to accommodate growing demand for Different Drum, our Pennsylvania rum; the highly-anticipated release of The Dragon, our newly-patented brewing device; and the return of Dangerous Grounds, in its third season on the Travel Channel. Now, perhaps most exciting, we are announcing plans to dramatically expand our café presence over the next five years in order to bring our acclaimed coffee to more customers than ever.”
In order to achieve its expansion plans La Colombe has begun to build out its operating and support team, attracting talents from adjacent industries experienced with multi-unit rollouts.
The coffee purveyor also plans to tap Goode’s resources and deep experience investing in and growing consumer and retail brands.
“We’re excited not only for the opportunity in front of us, but for all those that helped get us this far,” commented co-founder J.P. Iberti. “We like to think we have the best employees and customers in the industry, and this partnership will provide more career opportunities and better access to great coffee for everyone who has been loyal to our brand since Todd and I first opened on Rittenhouse Square in 1994.”
La Colombe plans to use the investment from Goode Partners to expand its retail presence, increase capacity at its roasting facility, and build out its corporate team. “It isn’t every day that you find a business, brand and customer base built through product. La Colombe is one of them. Along with their 20 year heritage and commitment to quality, the loyalty of their employee base and unique position in the market, Todd and JP have built an incredible platform that really resonates with our approach to investing” said Keith Miller, Partner at Goode.
La Colombe operates 8 cafes in Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C. It also wholesales coffee and brewing equipment to some of the most respected restaurants, cafes, hotels, and retail grocers. La Colombe coffee is also available for purchase on its website, www.lacolombe.com.