Crazy Mocha Coffee Company
Industrycoffeehouse chain
Number of locations
10
Area served
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ProductsCoffee
Websitewww.crazymocha.com

Crazy Mocha Coffee Company is a coffeehouse chain in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region. As of August 2021, the chain has 10 locations.[1]

History

A view from Crazy Mocha

The original store was the Dancing Goats coffee shop on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh.[2] The shop had been named after the apocryphal legend of the dancing goat that heralded the beginning of coffee.[3][4] It was purchased in 2000 by Ken Zeff, a merchandise buyer for J.C. Penney and native resident of Greenfield.[2][5]

In 2003, the Crazy Mocha chain had three locations.[5] In 2004, the operation doubled to six locations with 25 employees.[5] The rapid pace of expansion raised questions among observers about whether the growth was sustainable.[5] By 2008, the 21 locations required over 100 employees.[6]

In 2007, Zeff opened a store at PPG Place. Other downtown locations were developed to improve brand awareness. In 2009, the downtown flagship store was opened on Liberty Avenue in the Cultural District.[7]

In 2009, the expansion into Cranberry marked the first time the store had gone beyond City of Pittsburgh limits into the suburbs.[8]

Crazy Mocha was profiled by the Pittsburgh Business Times to highlight retail stores' issues with the 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit.[9]

On March 14, 2018, Crazy Mocha was purchased by the Kiva Han Coffee Company, located in Cranberry Township, Pa owned by Ed Wethli.[10]

In October 2020, Crazy Mocha's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, due to the effects of the pandemic.[11] The company divested 10 locations as part of its restructuring plan and under new management those 10 locations are still operating in the City of Pittsburgh.

Business philosophy

Each location is designed to emulate a small and independent coffee shop that fits the neighborhood it's in.[12] The Shadyside location attempts to match the art-conscious neighborhood, South Side location has a faux-iron canopy hanging over the tables in honor of the area's industrial past, and the location at the SouthSide Works was based on a "trendy Brooklyn cafe."[12] The Bloomfield location teamed up with The Dreaming Ant, an independent video rental store.[5]

When possible, Crazy Mocha uses local contractors for construction and avoids opening near other independent coffee shops.[2] The company has been an early newcomer to urban rehabilitation in Lawrenceville and the North Side.[13] The 2010 opening of the North Side location was hailed as the cornerstone of a redevelopment effort in that neighborhood.[14][15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Locations". Crazy Mocha Coffee Company. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Wander, Jonathan (March 2010). "Ken Zeff". Pittsburgh Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Munch Goes to Dancing Goats, Katerbean". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 14, 2000. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Dining on Ellsworth an Al Fresco Adventure". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 19, 2001. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brewing up business". Pittsburgh Business Times. September 27, 2004. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Crazy Mocha opens two stores, plans two more in 2009". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. December 11, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Pittsburgh's Crazy Mocha coffee shop expects steady growth in Cultural District". Pittsburgh Business Times. October 5, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Crazy Mocha Coffee Co. adding two stores". Pittsburgh Business Times. March 13, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  9. ↑ "G-20 expected to be either boom or bust for retail". Pittsburgh Business Times. August 17, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Cranberry Township-based Kiva Han buys Crazy Mocha coffee: Expect loyalty perks, barista training and more shops". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  11. ↑ "Crazy Mocha files for bankruptcy as pandemic hurts coffee shops". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  12. 1 2 Vellucci, Justin (August 30, 2007). "Crazy Mocha is changing the idea of a chain". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  13. ↑ Schooley, Tim (February 24, 2012). "Crazy Mocha ready for more expansion, with three on the way". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  14. ↑ Pfister, Bonnie (July 5, 2009). "Crazy Mocha joins North Side revitalization effort". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  15. ↑ Cato, Jason (January 14, 2010). "Planners see progress on transforming the city's North Side". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
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