Bitty & Beau’s was founded in 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Since then, they have franchised to 20 total locations in just seven years. That is incredible growth! This begs the question—what makes this brand so easy to love? Well, there are a few things!

Mission

First, let’s jump into their mission. I took this straight from their website home page 

“Bitty & Beau’s Coffee is a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop, where people with intellectual & developmental disabilities are valued in the workplace. It’s a place where diversity isn’t just appreciated, it’s celebrated.”

Why is this a big deal?

A – because they’re making a huge difference in the world

B – According to a study by the New York Post, 80% of Gen Z and Millennials are likely to base their purchases on a brand’s mission or purpose.

That saying “a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop” is plastered on every flat surface they can find, both digital and physical. Learn from this repetition!

Founder Story

Amy & Ben Wright are the co-founders of Bitty & Beau’s. They are parents of four. One of their children has autism and two others have Down Syndrome. They were astounded to learn that 80% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed nationwide. So they decided to create a place where people with disabilities are valued & given opportunity for meaningful work.

In one of her interviews, she told her children:
“I wouldn’t change you for the world, but I will change the world for you.”

Because they are being so open and vulnerable with their story, they are authentic they are relatable . They truly understand the struggles that individuals with disabilities face. They understand the struggles that parents of individuals with disabilities face.

Merchandise

Remember when I said they put their mission on every surface? They also created a few other companion saying that represents their mission. Those sayings are:
“Radically Inclusive”
“Not Broken”

On their website, they are modeled by individuals with disabilities. Notice that NONE of these sayings have anything to do with coffee. They’re not trying to push their product. They’re trying to further the mission of their human rights movement, that’s disguised as a coffee shop.

I am going to insert a little story time about an actual experience I had at Bitty & Beau’s Charleston. We were waiting on our coffee as the kids were eating cake pops. One of the employees went to go check on the creamer levels out at the guest counter. As he was doing this, he accidentally dropped the carafe and it made a super loud noise. Instead, of getting upset or anyone freaking out, the employee reached smiled, clapped, then reached down to pick it up and laughed. Everyone else clapped too. It was a simple, sweet, beautiful experience that really shows how they have made their brand clear—everything and everyone is celebrated.

In fact, because of this sense of community and overall happiness that I experience every time I walk into Bitty & Beau’s has made me want to try and visit as many as possible. So far, I have made it to THREE of their stores and can’t wait to visit more.

Tangible Takeaways

Now let’s talk about how you can take these strategies from a medium, but VERY successful brand and apply them to YOUR small business:

1. Not all businesses have a strong ethical mission, and I think that’s okay. You don’t have to have a very specific mission in order to be successful. But one thing we CAN take away from this is that the repetition of your message is KEY! They write “a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop” on every surface, both digital and physical, that they can find. Write your mission on every surface you can find to attract AND repel customers.
2. Stories are what binds us together as humans. What’s yours? Amy and Ben Wright were open about their story and how it fuels their business. What’s the origin story of your own business? Many creative entrepreneurs like to put the focus on their art or service, but trust me…if you dig deep enough, you will uncover the story that brought you to create that art or service offering. And THAT will attract and repel the right people too.
3. Merchandise doesn’t make sense for every business, however, creating phrases that you use over and over and over again—that does make sense for every business. Create 2-3 sayings that can be used repetitively across copy for social media, both still and video, and your website.

Alright, now that we have dove into a relatively new brand that is making waves, I’m not sure what you’re waiting on—but it’s high time you get out there and grow.