---
title: "Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/0bb97a57-1351-49fb-b0d2-f92b944484de
source: "Restaurant Business"
original_url: https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/future-50-2026/bad-ass-coffee-hawaii
category: "Coffee & tea"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Coffee & tea"
published: 2026-10-29T10:30:53.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T14:43:42.119Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

**TL;DR:** Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii stands out in the coffee segment with its specialization in Hawaiian coffees and international blends. The brand's sales were $26.4 million in 2025, a 22.2% year-over-year increase.

*originally published in Restaurant Business on 2026-10-29. [Read the original](https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/future-50-2026/bad-ass-coffee-hawaii).*

## Story

As the competition gets fiercer in the coffee segment, concepts need to stand out from the crowd. For Bad Ass Coffee, its specialization in Hawaiian coffees and international blends sets it apart, as well as an ongoing commitment to its donkey rescue program. Although the brand was founded in Kona, Hawaii in 1989, most of the 43 cafes are scattered in California, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Florida and a couple of other states.

In 2019, Royal Aloha Coffee purchased the company and launched franchising. Bad Ass Coffee's 2025 sales were $26.4 million, a 22.

2% year-over-year increase. The expanded menu now includes energy drinks, lemonades, and smoothies along with seasonal LTOs. In 2026, Bad Ass donated a percentage of sales from its Viejo blend to its annual Give a Hoof donkey rescue campaign.

## Entities

- QSR (sector)
- franchising (topic)
- Restaurant Business (publication)
- menu expansion (topic)
- Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii (company)
- Royal Aloha Coffee (company)
- coffee segment (topic)
- donkey rescue program (topic)

---
Originally reported by Restaurant Business (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/future-50-2026/bad-ass-coffee-hawaii). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/0bb97a57-1351-49fb-b0d2-f92b944484de).