#NiceWork! Born as an espresso cart in 1986, Kaladi Brothers Coffee has grown to be a staple of Alaska. Today, Kaladi has fourteen locations across the State and one in Seattle, and they produce almost a million pounds of coffee every year.
How did they do it? On top of roasting and brewing fantastic organic beans, Kaladi cares about its customers. Former owner Mark Overly explained to the Alaska Dispatch News that, “[The community aspect] was [always] the intention of the business…And [we knew that] everything would follow that.” As a “catalyst of community,” the shop is incredibly dedicated to supporting and growing the communities they serve.
Kaladi sponsors countless community events, drives, and causes. By teaming up with other local businesses and nonprofits, Kaladi is able to put on incredibly fun and generous events to benefit Alaskans. One such event was for a launch party for Read on the Fly. The event, sponsored and hosted by Kaladi, called on community members to donate children’s books. They turned this donation drive into a party for the whole community along with free hot dogs provided by Phat Kid Food Truck and a craft station put up by the Anchorage Community House.
Kaladi is incredibly generous in its coffee and gift donations. From offering free coffee for moms on Mother’s Day to donating gift baskets to local drives and auctions, Kaladi is constantly finding new avenues to give their support. They’ve donated money to the University of Alaska Anchorage Debate Team and the Anchorage Running Club. Kaladi’s marketing team estimates that Kaladi supports around 250 events per year. Along with the work of their Community Cafe and other donations, this comes out to about $150,000 in donations every year.
Across Alaska, Kaladi is famous for their Community Cafe. This cafe-on-wheels travels around the state to spread its warmth. They’ve been there to meet parents with a free 12 oz cup of coffee when dropping off kids at their first day of school or to provide free espresso at the Pride Parade and at events for the Anchorage Motorcycling Community. No matter the gathering, Kaladi shows generosity to all community members. By using the hashtag #FollowTheRedGoat, inspired by their Red Goat logo, Kaladi has gained huge popularity across Alaska. When the Red Goat comes, everyone knows that warmth and community come along with it.
Kaladi is also famous for bringing the community together in their open and shared community spaces. Spaces are used for just about everything, from family gathering and group meetings to art shows like Susitna Elementary Student Art Show. They currently have 3 large community spaces at their Brayton, Downtown and Soldotna/Sterling Highway locations.
Kaladi support groups like the Cook Inlet Tribal Council. They provided the coffee for their Native Youth Olympics and they purchase wholesale goods, such as sandwiches and baked goods, from their Chanlyut program. The program gives residential, vocational, and educational support for participants to overcome challenges such as reintegration post incarceration, addiction, and homelessness.
“Kaladi is an industry leader when it comes to coffee, community and customer experience,” customer Seth Stetson said.
So, if you ever find yourself up North, drop on in to enjoy a cup of joe at Kaladi. Your dollar supports a company that works to support you.
