What's Going On At Handsome Coffee Right Now?

The bombshell that was Blue Bottle's acquisition of Handsome Coffee has now gotten stale after a few months, as the home-grown coffee roaster in the Arts District continues to chug along. But things are changing soon, as Blue Bottle's brand superimposes Handsome's.

First off, sugar and almond milk are now available on the counter at Mateo Street, two items that Handsome never served. Second, Blue Bottle and even Tonx's (which the Oakland company also acquired) roasts occasionally show up on the menu.

Finally, the Handsome brand will begin to dissolve in about a month's time, after Blue Bottle gets the official approval to roast their mostly organic beans at Handsome's roaster (apparently it's a separate license to roast organic coffee).

When the Handsome brand dies, so will all social media avenues and websites. Michael Phillips, who helped found Handsome, will continue on with the training and leadership roles he had while Charlie Habeggar, who took over Chris Owens' former post, will handle the coffee acquisition and roasting.

Almost all staff, and even some former baristas, have been rehired as Blue Bottle employees, which is a plumb gig considering the health, dental and vision benefits come along. The transition should be completed by the end of summer, so Handsome acolytes will have a few more weeks to enjoy their beans before they brew for the last time.
· All Handsome Coffee Coverage [~ELA~]
· All Blue Bottle Coffee Coverage [~ELA~]