Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) and Lavazza Group recently announced the expansion of their lucrative partnership. KDP will now be responsible for the wider sales and distribution of Lavazza K-Cup pods and for producing Lavazza’s Canadian brand, Kicking Horse Coffee in the K-Cup format.
According to the new agreement, KDP will continue to exclusively source and manufacture Lavazza’s premium K-Cup pods with the addition of sales and distribution responsibilities for retail and e-commerce all over the U.S. and Canada. The forthcoming availability of Kicking Horse Coffee in K-Cup pods opens up the specialty coffee brand to new consumers through the Keurig brewing system.
"Lavazza has been a valued partner since 2014 and we are pleased to continue our collaboration as the brand becomes a member of our licensed brand family," said Patrick Minogue, President, U.S. Coffee. "Having renowned, premium coffee brands Lavazza and now Kicking Horse Coffee as part of the K-Cup pod family underscores our ability to drive growth while providing consumers premium coffee brands available to enjoy at home."
With a portfolio of more than 125 owned, licensed, and partner brands, KDP is one of the leading beverage companies in North America with annual revenue of more than $14 billion. Their expansion with Lavazza and Kicking Horse is part of a growing interest in coffee. Last July KDP spent $300 million on a 33% stake in US coffee roaster La Colombe.
"This partnership marks a significant milestone for Lavazza and Kicking Horse, as it opens new avenues to reach a wider audience of coffee enthusiasts. It represents an exceptional opportunity to fortify our collaboration with KDP," said Hossam Ashraf, Lavazza North America President. "At Lavazza Group, we take pride in our commitment to passion, integrity, and expertise, all of which contribute to delivering superior, high-quality coffee. We believe that KDP is the right partner to bring this exceptional coffee experience to more consumers across North America."
KDP operates six coffee roasting sites in the U.S. and in October 2023 they invested $100 million into its South Carolina coffee plant, where they predominantly focus on roasting and packaging coffee in K-Cup pods.
Founded in Turin, Italy in 1895, Lavazza is one of the most preeminent family owned coffee companies in the world. Looking to increase their €2.7 billion annual turnover, they also partnered with Paris Baguette North America in December 2023 to offer a co-branded retail packaged coffee line. Impressed by the rapidly growing sales of Kicking Horse® Coffee, Lavazza bought the brand in 2017.
Kicking Horse is excited to finally be offering their premium coffee in K-Cup format. Cedric Malaga, CEO of Kicking Horse Coffee shared, "At Kicking Horse Coffee, our mission is to bring better coffee to the world - we call it the best of coffee with the best of intentions. Sharing our always fair trade and organic roasts with as many people as possible means we're delivering on this mission," he said.