Heine Brothers' is a coffee roaster and coffee shop chain founded in 1994 by Gary Heine and Mike Mays in Louisville, Kentucky.[1][2] Mays is president of the company.[3][4]
 Heine Brothers' location in Louisville's Crescent Hill neighborhood | |
| Industry | Coffee shop |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Products | Coffee, tea |
| Website | heinebroscoffee |
The company has 200-300 employees.
History
editThe first Heine Brothers' shop was opened in the Highlands neighborhood in Louisville in 1994.[5]
The company became "100% Fair-Trade & Organic" in 2002.[6]
In 2011, co-founder Mays bought out Heine's interests in the company and merged it with Vint, a local coffee shop chain.[7] Today, the company operates 16 Heine Brothers' coffee shops within Kentucky and Southern Indiana.[8][9][10]
In 1999, Heine Brothers' became a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, Inc.,[11][12] an importer of fairly traded and organically grown green coffee operating in the United States and Canada.[6]
In early 2015, in a partnership with Forecastle Foundation and Whole Foods Market, Heine Brothers' created "Kentucky Dream", a fair trade coffee blend benefiting conservation efforts.[13]
In November 2016, the company relocated its roasting facilities and headquarters to Louisville's Portland neighborhood.[14][15]
In August 2017, Heine Brothers' partnered with WDRB, a local, Fox-affiliated television station, to distribute eclipse glasses for the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. Funds raised from the promotion, totaling $50,702, were donated to the Louisville Science Center.[16][17]
In 2021, the company expanded with one more shop in Valley Station.[18]
On May 10, 2022, several Heine Brothers workers announced their intention to form a union.[19] On March 17, 2023, the workers' union ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with the company.[20]
On March 25, 2026, a 19 year old Kentucky Christian college student and former employee of Heine Brothers, Paige Rodgers, sued the company for wrongful termination, discrimination, and creating a hostile work environment. Roger's coworker asked about her views on marriage and sexuality, then filed a complaint after Roger's answered truthfully. Heine Brothers terminated Rodger's employment within two weeks via text stating ""It was reported and confirmed that you engaged in conversations in the workplace where you expressed religious beliefs in a manner that was unwelcome and offensive to others," the text read. "These conversations created discomfort among team members and contributed to a work environment inconsistent with our company values and code of conduct."[21]
Production
editCurrently, the company's coffee offerings are grown and exported by farmer-owned cooperatives in Central America (Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua), South America (Colombia, Peru, Bolivia), Africa (Ethiopia), Indonesia (Sumatra, East Timor).
References
edit- ↑ Green, Marcus (April 18, 2016). "Heine Brothers' Coffee to move HQ to Louisville's Portland neighborhood". WDRB. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ Stevens, Ashlie (April 28, 2017). "More Behind The Pour: What Heine Brothers' Success Tells Us About Brand Identity". 89.3 WFPL News Louisville. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Mike Mays". Educational Justice. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Heine Brothers Case Study". Qu. September 5, 2018. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Heine Brothers' locations".
- 1 2 "About | Heine Brothers' Coffee". Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ Clouser, Stephanie (November 15, 2011). "Heine Brothers' and Vint coffee chains to merge". Louisville Business First. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ Bowling, Caitlin (October 28, 2014). "Heine Brothers' Coffee announces first Southern Indiana location". Louisville Business First. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ "We Drank So Much Caffeine to Find the Best Coffee Shops In Louisville". Thrillist. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ↑ "Heine Brothers' Locations". Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ↑ "Coop coffees". Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ "Heine Brothers' – Louisville, KY, USA | Coop coffees". Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Heine Brothers' breaks 'grounds' on new partnership with Forecastle Foundation" (Press release). WHAS-TV. June 24, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ Weaver, Bridgett. "Here's where the next Heine Brothers' location will be". BizJournals.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Bailey, Phillip M. (April 19, 2016). "Heine Brothers moving HQ to West End". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ Carter, Darla. "Get your eclipse glasses here ... if you're lucky". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ↑ Kircher, Travis. "WDRB and Heine Brothers raise $50,000 for the Kentucky Science Center with eclipse glasses". WDRB. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ↑ Kobin, Billy. "Heine Brothers' Coffee to open a new location in Valley Station". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ @HBWorkersUnion (May 10, 2022). "Love our coffee? So do we! Love our workers? So do we! Love respect on the job? Support the #HeineBroUnion" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Harbsmeier, Deborah (March 17, 2023). "Heine Brothers' Coffee and employees approve new contract". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ↑ Parks, Kristine (March 25, 2026). "EXCLUSIVE: Kentucky barista takes legal action after termination, claims she was fired for sharing her faith". Fox News. Retrieved March 25, 2026.