NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 16, 2024) – Reed Hospitality Group’s 8th and Roast (8&R), a specialty coffee company based in Nashville and grounded in “community,” is growing its community significantly by acquiring Good Citizen Coffee Co., a leading locally-owned coffee company specializing in wholesale. Through this acquisition, 8th and Roast will maintain the Good Citizen team and continue roasting and distributing the company’s popular Good Citizen and Common Voice coffee lines.
“Good Citizen’s mission, goals, and values as a local coffee company align with our own as we both pride ourselves on delivering the highest quality of product, ethically sourced, at a fair price,” said Ed Reed, 8th and Roast’s Co-owner “We believe our combined know-how will only enhance 8th and Roast’s ability to deliver better value to serve a broader set of wholesale customers whether you’re an office, restaurant, coffee shop or enjoying our coffee in your home. Everyone deserves a better cup of coffee.”
Ed and Sam Reed, together with Q-Juan ‘Q’ Taylor, purchased 8th and Roast in 2016, bringing a passion for fresh, ethically sourced coffee to the company. Prioritizing its welcoming, in-store dining experience and artisan coffee roasting process, 8th and Roast currently has five Nashville locations – 8th Ave, Charlotte Ave, Midtown, and two stores in Nashville International Airport – as well as a robust wholesale coffee program that spans nationwide.
Good Citizen was founded in 2018 by Sean Stewart to focus on sustainable, quality, locally roasted coffee. The company has expanded quickly, attracting major customers and Nashville establishments including the Downtown Embassy Suites, The Grand Hyatt, Union Station Hotel, The Hotel Chalet at Chattanooga Choo Choo, and Chiefs on Broadway. Good Citizen will continue to provide coffee to these businesses and across its entire strategic market presence, which includes Stay Golden Coffee Shop & Restaurant in Berry Hill, Tennessee, and over 300 wholesale trade partners.
“We look forward to Good Citizen’s next chapter with the 8th and Roast team as we combine our strengths, grow our client base, and continue our shared passion for sourcing sustainable, high-quality craft coffee,” said Stewart. “I am so proud of Good Citizen’s journey thus far and am confident that with the great team at 8th and Roast, our positioning in this industry will reach new heights.”
“Nothing is more important to us than creating an environment where all of our team members can succeed,” said Q Taylor. “Following the acquisition, we intend to take the combined knowledge and talents of both teams to turbocharge what we are already doing for our existing wholesale partners and untapped new ones. This is really a 1+1 = 3 partnership. We look forward to welcoming Good Citizen employees into our family.”
Both companies have shared values in sourcing and prioritizing sustainability while working directly with farmers to create lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. 8th and Roast will bring meticulous, methodical operations to the Good Citizen and Common Voice brands, enhancing the ability to secure the best quality coffee at harvest while maintaining it all the way through the roasting process.
For more information on 8th and Roast and this acquisition, please visit 8thandroast.com/.
About 8th and Roast
Founded in 2009, 8th and Roast is a Nashville-based specialty coffee company that is part of the family-owned-and-operated Reed Hospitality Group. By connecting with a network of fair-trade farmers from around the world, 8th and Roast serves the most ethically sourced coffee available while playing an important role in the global coffee sustainability movement. With five in-store locations around Nashville, a wholesale coffee program that expands nationwide and plans for further growth, 8th and Roast is a leader in the Southeast’s craft coffee industry and offers something for every coffee drinker.
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