Crazy Mocha Coffee Company facts for kids
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| Industry | coffeehouse chain |
|---|---|
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Number of locations
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10 |
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Area served
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Products | Coffee |
Crazy Mocha Coffee Company is a well-known chain of coffee shops. You can find their locations mostly around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. As of today, there are 10 Crazy Mocha shops still serving delicious coffee.
Contents
The Story of Crazy Mocha
How It Started
The very first Crazy Mocha shop was once called "Dancing Goats." It was located on Ellsworth Avenue in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The name "Dancing Goats" came from an old story about how coffee was discovered. Legend says that goats became very energetic and "danced" after eating certain berries, which led people to discover coffee!
In the year 2000, a man named Ken Zeff bought the Dancing Goats coffee shop. He was a buyer for a big store called J.C. Penney and grew up in Greenfield, Pittsburgh.
Growing Bigger
Crazy Mocha started to grow quickly. By 2003, there were three locations. Just one year later, in 2004, the number of shops doubled to six. They also had 25 employees working for them. People wondered if the company could keep growing so fast. But it did! By 2008, Crazy Mocha had 21 locations and employed over 100 people.
In 2007, Ken Zeff opened a new store at PPG Place. More shops opened in downtown Pittsburgh to help more people learn about Crazy Mocha. In 2009, a main store opened on Liberty Avenue in the Cultural District.
Crazy Mocha also started to expand outside of Pittsburgh. In 2009, they opened a shop in Cranberry. This was their first store in the suburbs.
Changes Over Time
On March 14, 2018, the Kiva Han Coffee Company bought Crazy Mocha. Kiva Han Coffee Company is located in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, and is owned by Ed Wethli.
In October 2020, Crazy Mocha's parent company faced some financial challenges. This was partly due to the effects of the pandemic. As a result, the company reorganized and sold off 10 of its locations. However, these 10 locations are still open and operating in Pittsburgh under new management.
Crazy Mocha's Way of Doing Business
Unique Shops for Each Neighborhood
Crazy Mocha tries to make each of its coffee shops feel special. They want every location to feel like a small, local coffee shop that fits its neighborhood. For example:
- The Shadyside shop matches the artistic feel of that area.
- The South Side location has a cool, fake iron roof over its tables. This design honors the area's history of factories and industry.
- The shop at the SouthSide Works was designed to look like a trendy cafe you might find in Brooklyn.
- The Bloomfield location even worked with an independent video rental store called The Dreaming Ant.
Supporting Local Communities
Crazy Mocha likes to use local builders for their shops whenever they can. They also try to avoid opening new stores right next to other small, independent coffee shops.
The company has been one of the first businesses to help improve older parts of Pittsburgh. They opened early in areas like Lawrenceville and the North Side. When the North Side location opened in 2010, many people saw it as a key part of the neighborhood's new development.
See also
- Tazza D'Oro
- List of coffeehouse chains
