Blue Bottle Coffee is already gathering a cult following. Now, the company is getting a little sweeter.
The Oakland-based company has installed bee hives on the roof of its Webster Street headquarters. Bees hum above; customers sip coffee down below. How will the two get along? Not sure yet, as the hives are brand new. Safe to say, though, the Bay Area is the right market for a company that wants to get more organic.
Blue Bottle actually has a couple of uses for the honey. Yes, owner James Freeman tells NBC Bay Area that customers will appreciate the locally-grown (and can you get more local than your own roof?) honey in their drinks. On top of that, James' wife, Caitlin, who runs the bakery portion of Blue Bottle, will be putting the fresh honey into the company's baked goods.
Good for business, and good for the environment. Keeping things local, sweet, and organic.
Blue Bottle is showing up in more places these days (SF's Ferry Building, Jack London Square, downtown Los Gatos, even in the lobby of Zynga's headquarters). Maybe adding a dash of home-grown sweetness will help business even more.
Scott, an Oakland native, is on Twitter: @scottbudman
