Industry News | September 5, 2012
Pizza Ranch Donates to Ethiopia Reads Via Coffee
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Expecting to serve two million cups of coffee in the year ahead, Pizza Ranch has brewed up a new coffee program and partnership with Ethiopia Reads and the Tesfa Foundation.
For every pound of roasted coffee it brews, Pizza Ranch will donate 50 cents to Ethiopia Reads. These funds will go toward Ethiopia Reads' Kembata-Tembaro Literacy Initiative, a campaign to build a community library and five new learning centers for children in the Kembata-Tembaro region of Ethiopia over the next three years. This partnership will directly benefit hundreds of children and create a ripple effect that impacts their family members and communities in a positive way for generations to come.
Pizza Ranch’s new coffee program was inspired by Jon Moss, chief operating officer of Pizza Ranch. Jon and his wife, Liz, adopted two boys from the Kembata-Tembaro region of Ethiopia, and through that process they discovered first-hand the need for education in this region. At the same time, they also found that some of the finest coffees in the world come from this area.
“It just seemed really natural to me that something we are using every day in our restaurants could be part of the solution to improve the lives of the people who provide our coffee,” says Moss. “We are excited to be offering our guests a great cup of coffee that has a profound purpose. And with our guests’ help, we will be able to give something more to the people who provided that amazing cup of coffee.”
Made from 100 percent Ethiopian coffee beans sourced directly from the Kembata-Tembaro region, Pizza Ranch’s new coffee offerings include Robust Blend, Hazelnut, and Decaf Brew.
The new coffee is now available at all 165 Pizza Ranch locations.
QSR® magazine has always found space to report on the charitable works and deeds of members of the foodservice community. But recently it became important to us to step up our efforts, and the decision was made to consolidate these stories in one place so you, the reader, could easily learn about what the industry is doing when it comes to giving back.
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Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's International, told readers in the very first issue of QSR magazine that "Profit is not a dirty word." But Thomas also worked tirelessly for the many charitable causes that touched his life. In so doing, he proved that running a successful business extends beyond the bottom line and that the real rewards in life are measured in a currency far greater than the dollar.
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