Generous Coffee Gives What It Can with Two New Denver-Area Shops

The new Golden location of Generous Coffee. All images courtesy of Generous Coffee Co.

Generous Coffee Company, which started as an online-only, mission-based coffee company in 2017, has expanded into two Colorado brick-and-mortar locations in recent months. The first opened inside the Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery last August in Golden, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. An outpost in Denver proper followed in November of last year, inside the Wayfinder Co-op co-working space.

Co-founded Drew Scholl, Riley Fuller and Ben Higgins — the latter the star of the 20th season of ABC’s “The Bachelor” — Generous Coffee Company International was originally envisioned as an additional revenue stream for Humanity and Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting various projects in small communities in Honduras.

Ben Higgins at the grand opening of the Denver shop. The Denver location. Photo by @dyer_creative_

While Generous continues to donate 100% of its profits and Humanity and Hope remains the coffee company’s primary charitable beneficiary, Generous Coffee International Director of Communications Maddie Short told Daily Coffee News that additional organizations will benefit from the growing retail sales.

“We also donate to other nonprofits and organizations each quarter, both monetary and material donations,” Short told DCN. “The goal of our coffee shops is that each shop would specifically go towards a different cause.”

Short also noted that while H&H is a faith-based organization, Generous Coffee is not, at least not officially.

“Our reasoning behind not being an established faith-based organization is that we want to accept and include all people, no matter what they believe,” said Short. “A declaration of faith might deter some people from joining the Generous Movement alongside us.”

Grand opening celebration of the Denver shop. The Denver location. Photo by @dyer_creative_

Coffees for Generous are roasted in Fort Wayne, Indiana, by roasting partner Utopian Coffee.

“We partnered with Utopian because they as well have a generous give back model,” said Short. “We wanted our coffee to be of the highest quality with the greatest impact and Utopian helps us continue to accomplish this.”

At both of the new Generous Coffee retail locations, La Marzocco espresso machines work in conjunction with Mahlkönig grinders; a 2-group Linea Classic in Golden, and a 3-group FB70 in Denver. The interior design of each shop reflects the communities in which each nonprofit partner organization is focused.

The Denver location. Photo by @dyer_creative_

In Golden, the shop is themed by imagery of some of the Honduran families and lush, Honduran landscapes that benefit from programs and projects supported by H&H, while in Denver the decor reflects work done with another nonprofit beneficiary working in Haiti.

“Our goal in our shop’s decor is really to tell the story of the good that each purchase is doing and how the money is helping,” said Short. “As we grow, we want each shop to be a unique experience, reflective of the selected nonprofit partner, while still creating a warm, welcoming, and comfortable environment.”

Wholesale is another growing avenue for Generous, according to Short. Additional cafes are in the works for the year to come, as is an ambassador program and branded apparel and merchandise.

The Denver location. Photo by @dyer_creative_