Bitty & Beau’s Coffee will open its first Colorado store along Pearl Street Mall in Boulder this fall. The self-proclaimed “radically inclusive” chain of coffee shops is run by people with disabilities.
Bitty & Beau’s Coffee was founded in 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina, by Amy and Ben Wright. The Wrights are parents to four children, including Bitty and Beau, born with Down syndrome. Understanding that most people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed, the Wrights sought to create a career path for people with disabilities to become more valued, accepted and included in every community.
“We’re energized to bring Bitty & Beau’s Coffee to Boulder, where we know that our store can make a positive impact on the community. We can’t wait for our new customers to see what’s possible when you put people with disabilities in the spotlight, especially when it comes to meaningful employment,” said Amy Wright, founder, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee.
Today there are 24 Bitty & Beau’s Coffee shops existing or preparing to open in the U.S., spread across 13 states. The Boulder location is at 1468 Pearl Street, Suite 120, in a building owned by Unico Properties. The 1,500-square-foot store will serve coffee and espresso drinks, tea, smoothies, bagels, muffins and other sweet treats.
Molly Bayer, a retail specialist with CBRE in Boulder, represented Bitty & Beau’s Coffee in its lease, along with John Schultz of MacKenzie Retail, LLC in Maryland.
“Bitty & Beau’s Coffee is a perfect fit for Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. Boulder is widely recognized as a warm and inclusive community, and I know the people of Boulder will flock to this store. It’s long been the case in Boulder, but we are seeing more shoppers across ages and geographies showing a preference for brands that support issues and causes they care about. Bitty & Beau’s is doing wonderful things for people with disabilities, and that makes it more than just a great cup of coffee,” said Bayer.
The Boulder store will open in the fall of 2023.
