Flexible store models, from travel plazas to airport kiosks, complement the brand’s multi-unit café development pipeline across the Southeast
DENVER, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, a renowned coffee franchise celebrated for its premium Hawaiian coffees, strong community connection, adventurous spirit, and vibrant café experience, now operates six non-traditional franchise locations across the United States, a footprint that continues to grow alongside the brand’s accelerating café development pipeline on the East Coast and across Florida.
Six Locations, Many Formats
The non-traditional portfolio spans trailers and food trucks, coffee kiosks, carts and counters, drive-thru only kiosks, and “captive audience” shops inside venues such as airports, sporting arenas, grocery stores and shopping malls. Anchor examples include the brand’s flagship presence at a 19,000-square-foot travel plaza off I-94 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, developed in partnership with multi-unit operator Paul Bhardwaj of Golden Oil.
Locations like Kenosha illustrate how the non-traditional model plugs into high-volume, captive-audience real estate without requiring a standalone café build, an increasingly important lever as Bad Ass Coffee scales nationally.
“Our franchisees are operators first, and the conversation keeps coming back to flexibility,” said Tom Wylie, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bad Ass Coffee. “When you’re building inside a territory, having more than one format to deploy changes the math. A traditional café anchors the market. A kiosk inside a travel plaza, airport terminal, arena or grocery store extends the brand into traffic patterns a single café can’t capture. That optionality is how we accelerate development with the multi-unit partners who are driving our growth.”
The non-traditional footprint expansion runs in parallel with aggressive traditional café development on the East Coast, where Bad Ass Coffee has concentrated significant investment. In Florida alone, the brand operates seven locations. AWA Investments, Bad Ass Coffee’s largest investor and a multi-unit operator with stores from Nashville through the Florida Panhandle, recently committed to a 10-unit agreement spanning the Gulf Coast of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, with the brand’s new Gulf Shores, Alabama, café slated to open in early summer.
Together, the traditional café pipeline and the expanding non-traditional unit count give Bad Ass Coffee a broader set of development tools to fill in territory across the Southeast and the wider East Coast corridor.
Nationwide Expansion Backed by Proven Systems
Bad Ass Coffee continues to strengthen its presence across the country. The brand anticipates 25–30 new store openings this year, driven by multi-unit partnerships and non-traditional growth. Franchisees benefit from a proven business model and innovative technology, as well as a development support system, including teams and tools to help identify the right territories for expansion. Combining Hawaiian culture with responsible expansion, Bad Ass Coffee offers a franchise framework that supports sustainable growth and connects with today’s consumers.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is looking to partner with qualified and engaged individuals seeking multi-unit opportunities. The brand offers an affordable, highly scalable opportunity with strong profit potential. Franchisees can expect a total investment range between $524,200 – 990,500, with non-traditional shops ranging between $186,700 to $915,500.* As International Franchise Association VetFran members, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii offers veteran franchisees who join a $10,000 discount* off the initial franchise fee.
For more information on Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii franchise opportunities, visit badasscoffeefranchise.com or call 833-205-2224.
About Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii®
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii was born on the Big Island of Hawai’i in 1989 and is dedicated to sharing premium Hawaiian coffees “with a kick” from the Hawaiian Islands through 45-plus U.S. franchise locations – with 100+ additional shops in various stages of development. Today, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii stores also serve popular blended drinks, teas, food, along with other international premium coffees and sell popular branded merchandise with exceptional service and the Aloha Spirit. Bad Ass Coffees are available in franchise stores, online and will soon be available through grocery, hospitality, and specialty retail channels. The Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii brand and franchise is owned by Royal Aloha Franchise Company, LLC. For more information, visit badasscoffee.com and connect on Facebook and Instagram @badasscoffeeofhawaii.
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SOURCE Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii
