business backgrounder | economy
Dancing Goats Coffee Energized by CompWise
Olympia-based roastery and coffee shop chain gains a competitive edge with AWB ’ s workers ’ comp retro program .
Emily Trivison
Dancing Goats ® Coffee has been part of AWB ’ s ‘ Compwise ’ program for 19 years . CompWise is a tool that helps employers save time and money while keeping their employees safe in the workplace . Employers participating in CompWise can qualify for refunds on their workers ’ compensation premiums and also lower upfront premium payments over time .
At A Glance
Dancing Goats Coffee has 111 employees across their multiple stores . Headquartered in Olympia with locations in Lacey and Tacoma , they also branched out with locations in Atlanta and Florida . This year the company decided to consolidate its historic Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters label under the umbrella of
Dancing Goats Coffee .
Dancing Goats prides itself on its fair trade and sustainability initiatives and that they consider farmers part of their family .
Their specialty grade coffee is grown across the world , including Nicaragua ,
Costa Rica and Ethiopia .
Selections include coffee blends such as Whirling Dervish , Puddles Pity Party and Morning Vibes . A new selection , known as El Mirador , takes its name from a family-owned 27-acre farm in Bolivia . It has flavor notes of plum , nougat and marzipan .
The company ’ s roasting facility , located a block from the farmer ’ s market in Olympia , is also home to a tasting room . The aromas within the shop draw customers in as they freshly grind the coffee each week .
The story of Dancing Goats , a national coffee brand based in Olympia , begins in Ethiopia 1,200 years ago .
According to legend , a shepherd named Kaldi in the highlights of Abyssinia fell asleep and when he awoke , found his goats dancing and prancing . He noticed that they had eaten a small red fruit from a nearby bush . He wanted to join in the fun , so he tried the beans — and discovered coffee . That folk tale inspired one family to open a coffee shop in Olympia under the name Dancing Goats Espresso Company in 1988 . They soon merged with a nearby coffee roaster , Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters , to form a company that for three decades has produced specialty grade coffee for wholesale and retail customers across Washington and the United States .
At the main roastery and Dancing Goats Coffee headquarters , a block from the Olympia farmer ’ s market , they have a training lab for baristas and wholesale customers . In their
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