Olympia icon Dancing Goats Coffee acquired. Roastery to close, 1 cafe might too
The West Coast operations of Dancing Goats Coffee, an Olympia icon that got its start in the mid 1980s as Batdorf & Bronson, has been acquired by a Sumner-based coffee roaster.
That’s according to David Morris, Co-CEO of Dillanos Coffee Roasters, and Dave Wasson, president and CEO of Dancing Goats Coffee, both of whom spoke to The Olympian on Friday.
But here’s where things get a little confusing: Dillanos is not acquiring Dancing Goats Coffee from Dancing Goats, but from a St. Louis-based business called Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co.
Kaldi’s acquired Dancing Goats in July 2022, said Wasson, although that transaction apparently was not widely announced.
Dancing Goats had long ago expanded into the Atlanta market, which is where Kaldi’s interests lie.
“They decided to focus on Atlanta,” said Morris about Kaldi’s. “We are taking over the West Coast operations and they are taking over the East Coast operations.”
Morris emphasized that ownership is returning to the Pacific Northwest.
Dillanos has been a wholesale coffee roaster for nearly 33 years and Morris could recall a time when the business looked up to Batdorf & Bronson.
“We respect them a lot and thought it would be a great partnership,” he said.
However, there will be some changes locally, Morris said.
The Dancing Goats Coffee roastery, which is near the Olympia Farmers Market on Port of Olympia property, will eventually close because its operations will be consolidated with Dillanos in Sumner. The tasting room at that site will remain open for now, Morris said.
The building will be sold, Wasson added.
Kaldi’s intended to close the two downtown Olympia cafes, but it is important to Dillanos to try to keep them open, Morris said.
The Dancing Goats Coffee location across the street from the Olympia Farmers Market will remain open, but the location at Legion Way and Capitol Way, formerly a Starbucks, is under evaluation for its viability, Morris said.
The cafe at Bayview Thriftway will remain open because it’s operated by the store owners, he said.
Dillanos also announced they plan to sell coffee under the Batdorf & Bronson name again.
“The Batdorf & Bronson name is deeply meaningful to us,” said Chris Heyer, Co-CEO of Dillanos Coffee Roasters, in a statement.
And what happens to longtime executive Wasson? He said he still works for Dancing Goats Coffee.
“Hopefully, I’ll know more in December,” he said.
Larry and Cherie Challain started a coffee bar, serving coffee made from Batdorf & Bronson’s beans, in 1988. A few years later, the Challains purchased the Batdorf & Bronson roasting company, which expanded to a second roastery in Atlanta in 1994.
The company rebranded all retail and wholesale products as Dancing Goats Coffee and later was acquired by Kaldi’s Coffee in St. Louis.
This story was originally published November 16, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
