Local Coffee Roaster Lands Costco Deal, Boosts Mission

0:00It's April 23rd, from your city to your ears. This is Durham News Today, powered by AI, a Raleigh coffee company called 321 Coffee, just landed a huge deal to sell its beans in every Costco warehouse across North Carolina. Starting this past Sunday, April 26th, this local roaster, which hires folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities, pulled off the feet by cranking out 20 pallets of product, and just 10 days way faster than their usual timeline. Bags go for $25 each, and it's all on a trial run for now. To make it happen, the team tweaked employee shifts and fixed that equipment in record time, shipping everything out to stores from Raleigh to Charlotte. They've been in triangle spots like Whole Foods and Food Lime for years, but this Costco order dwarfs anything before. It kicked off last year when they pitched their story to Costco's southeast coffee buyer. The crew stayed pumped throughout, celebrating the final shipment with Costco cake and hot dogs shouting out every person's hustle.

1:02Co-founder Lindsey Reggie says it proves their setup can scale, showing off solid infrastructure and a team ready for big leagues. Now they're pushing fans to grab bags quick. A Costco to lock in a permanent spot, aiming to turn it into an everyday buy across the southeast and beyond. That can mean hiring more people with disabilities and supercharging their mission. They're even offering roastery tours that end with a group run to the Raleigh Costco for purchases, plus you can still snag beans at their shops. Online or in-office cafes. If sales pop off, this could rewrite their future in a major way.