For coffee professionals of a certain age, the name Batdorf & Bronson evokes some big time nostalgia. The cafe and roastery began life all the way back in the late-80s in Olympia, Washington. Created by Dick Batdorf and Shannon Bronson, the brand was one of the first specialty coffee brands to expand beyond state lines, opening up an East Coast operation in Atlanta in the mid-90s (many folks may actually know B&B more as an East Coast coffee roasters in fact).
Over time, Batdorf & Bronson moved away from the name, having previously opened up cafes under the moniker Dancing Goats, which it officially transitioned to in 2022. That same year, the company was acquired by St. Louis’s Kaldi’s Coffee Roasters, seemingly putting an end to the B&B name for good.
But Batdorf & Bronson is back! Thanks to a split of the company and a partial sale to Dillanos Coffee, the iconic Pacific Northwest has made a triumphant return.
As reported by Yahoo Finance, the Dancing Goats brand has been divided into two operations along geographical lines. Kaldi’s original purchase of Dancing Goats was driven primarily by their desire to break into the Atlanta market and have held on to that portion of the operation, including the roastery and cafes. Having less interest in the PNW locations, Kaldi’s then sold that portion to another longstanding Washington specialty roaster, Sumner’s Dillanos Coffee.
With the split, the Olympia outpost of Dancing Goats will revert to the original Batdorf & Bronson name. As part of the acquisition, the Dancing Goats roaster will eventually close as the operation will take place at Dillanos HQ. But Dillanos co-CEO David Morris states that he hopes to keep the other locations open. Per Yahoo, Kaldi’s planned to close the two downtown Olympia locations, but they plan to remain open under the new name; one location is currently under review for viability.
Still, what’s old is new again. The ’90s are hot right now, and what could be hotter than the Pacific Northwest during that particular era? So throw on some relax fit jeans and a flannel, grab your favorite Chuck Taylors or Sambas, and get over to the new Batdorf & Bronson, just like your parents used to.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
